


Mirror, Mirror

by Denise



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-07
Updated: 2012-08-07
Packaged: 2017-11-11 14:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 147,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/479697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denise/pseuds/Denise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fleeing a goa'uld attack, Daniel seeks Sanctuary in an alternate universe. He has to survive a SGC he barely recognizes if he's ever to return home.<br/>Sam and Jack friendship</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Butterfly's Wing

* * *

Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

* * *

  
Daniel ran down the corridor, his feet slapping the hard concrete floors. His breath rasped painfully in his throat and his heart pounded against his ribs. He heard the heavy footsteps behind him and he cringed, ducking his head down as he skidded around a corner, trying desperately not to lose his balance as he sought to get out of the line of fire.

A brilliant blast of orange exploded off the far wall, little bits of concrete flying through the air. He didn't feel it as some of the fragments scratched his face. Didn't notice the little droplets of blood that welled up. He didn't even notice that his glasses were scratched. None of that was going to matter if he couldn't get away.

He heard the footsteps clanging behind him just as he ducked around another corner, his hand going instinctively towards the pistol at his waist. Without even thinking, he raised and aimed the Beretta, squeezing off four shots into the chest and face of the Jaffa.

The Jaffa fell, a strangled gasp escaping from his ruined lips, blood spraying into the air. Grateful that he was alone, and well aware that he wouldn't be alone for long, Daniel spun on his heel, continuing his dash down the hall.

He heard shouting at his back and knew that the Jaffa had found their friend. Overhead the klaxons blared, screaming out a warning that Daniel figured few were left alive to hear.

The lights flickered and Daniel paused, cursing under his breath. "Damnit," he muttered. They must have reached the main breaker room. If they knew enough to cut the power, they'd cut the phones too.

They needed the phones, they needed to get word out and warn people. Presuming, of course, that the goa'uld were only using the gate to attack. Presuming that there was anyone left out there to warn.

A heavy bulk crashed into Daniel's side and he fell, landing awkwardly on his left hip. Desperately afraid, he raised his Beretta, his finger curling over the trigger. It took him three eternal seconds to realize that he wasn't staring at a Jaffa but Jack, his friend leaning against the wall. "Damnit, Daniel," he growled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting chased by Jaffa. You?" Daniel shot back, breathing heavily. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," Jack confirmed, taking the opportunity to check his ammo and reload his MP-5. "Gateroom's gone, so are all the lower levels. The base is locked down." He looked up and met Daniel's eyes with his own grim gaze. "We got ships in orbit. NORAD tagged at least three before they lost their satellites."

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm gonna hold them off as long as I can," Jack said. "You need to get the hell out of here."

"Jack-"

"Don't," he interrupted. "Hammond's dead, so's Teal'c. I don't know about Carter but…Daniel, someone has to get out of here that knows what's going on. That knows what the goa'uld are and how to fight them. That's you."

"Jack-"

"Daniel. Go," Jack said, his tone and the look on his face stilling Daniel's argument. "Get your ass out of here." He glanced down the hall and looked back to Daniel. "The auto destruct's gonna go in five. Ya gotta get out of here."

"TAU'RI KREE!"

"DANIEL GO!" Jack yelled, looking at him one last time before he pushed off the wall and started down the hall, his weapon gripped tightly in his hands.

Daniel stared after him for a second, memorizing the sight of his friend as he took on the platoon of Jaffa, the sharp report of his weapon echoing off the walls and making it sound like Jack was leading the platoon rather than battling it.

Well aware that, no matter how great a warrior he was, Jack wouldn't last long, Daniel ducked down another corridor, his goal the evacuation shaft that he knew was just around the corner. The head of a staff weapon came into view and Daniel stopped, losing his balance. Desperately pushing himself to his feet, he pushed through a door, not caring what room he was entering, just knowing that he wouldn't survive more than a few minutes in the halls.

He shut the door behind him and stopped, sure that the harsh sound of his breathing would be audible to the Jaffa outside the door. The room was dark and he stood still, afraid that he would make a noise and alert the Jaffa to his presence.

Slowly his eyes adjusted and he stepped forward, recognizing where he was. The store room on level 18, the one they kept the stuff in that they didn't send to Area 51. He searched his memory, desperately trying to remember if there was something here that could help them. Some weapon or device or…His eyes settled on the irregularly shaped form of the quantum mirror. NO. Not that. That wouldn't help them. He didn't need that he needed a gun. A laser, something to help Jack. Something to help Earth. Something…

A deep, low roar rumbled up from the floor. The walls started to shake and rattle. In an instant Daniel knew what it was. Knew it what was happening. Knew that he was dead.  
Without even realizing what he was doing, he reached out, his fingers splayed across the smooth, cool surface of the mirror.

/\/\/\/\/\

  
"The mining operation on P3R636 is going well," Lieutenant Colonel Albert Samuels briefed his commanding officer. "There was some initial resistance, but once we made an example of Pyrus, his daughter chose to cooperate." He looked up from the sheaf of papers in his hand. "It's estimated that we can clear a ton a week."

"A ton a week?" General Gordon Bauer asked, studying his printed out copy of the report. "There are mines here on Earth that produce that much ore in a minute."

"This mine IS nearly depleted," Samuels said. "That was the reason the Goa'uld abandoned it. Once we're sure the conventional mine is played out, Colonel Edwards is working on a plan to start strip mining on the planet. His geologist is confident that there are more veins of naqahdah there. They're just going to need a more aggressive approach."

"I want a detailed cost analysis before we start moving in the heavy equipment," Bauer said.

"We do need the naqahdah, sir," Samuels reminded, giving Bauer a sharp look.  
"I agree. But I see no need to spend millions on equipment if we can't be guaranteed of a decent return on the investment. Right now, with the slave labor from the planet, the overhead is low. But heavy equipment will require trained workers and that costs money."

"Yes, sir," Samuels replied, his tone conciliatory.

"What's the latest on our guest?" 

"He's proving difficult," Samuels said. "Unfortunately, Yu's age and experience gives him a particular resistance to our interrogation techniques. He's well aware that we can't kill him. Any injuries that we inflict are quickly healed by his goa'uld. Which also renders inert every chemical encouragement we deliver."

Bauer sighed. "This is not what I wanted to hear."

"I'm well aware of that, sir. Colonel Kennedy is hopeful that some of the devices we recovered from P9R427 can be of use."

"Kennedy's people have been playing with that Machello's stuff for almost a year and still haven't gotten any of it to work," Bauer dismissed.

"I'm aware of that, sir," Samuels said.

"Keep Yu alive," Bauer ordered. "Even if we can't get any decent intel from him, we might be able to trade him for something. How is Seth's interrogation progressing?" he asked, referring to their other goa'uld captive.

"Much the same. He's been on Earth so long that his galactic intel is non-existent. However he has been a bit more forthcoming about explaining goa'uld technology. When he's properly motivated that is," he finished wryly.

"Motivated?"

"After a few hundred years as a cult leader, Seth has developed some rather…eclectic tastes. Very Earth-bound and easy to procure." Bauer nodded. "His food requirements are a bit expensive but doable. They have had a bit more trouble fulfilling his sexual preferences." Bauer shot him a look. "Seth treats females as disposable. On the up side we do seem to finally have a hold over him. I think it's rather ironic that we can't beat, starve or drug him, but he'll do about anything to get his hands on a woman. Fortunately for us, Las Vegas has a near inexhaustible supply of prostitutes that no one will miss."  
Bauer nodded, scanning the papers once again. "You're worried about the President, aren't you?" Samuels asked.

"We definitively haven't made enough advances to keep President Kinsey happy. It's been months since we've brought back any reliable technology."

"There are only so many planets out there. Surely the President understands that?"

Bauer shook his head. "What he understands is that we have a race of beings out there that are just waiting to invade us and that we seem unable to gather enough tech to protect ourselves." He sighed. "If we can't turn this around, he'll send in his own people."

"We'll find something. The computer kicks out more addresses each week. Doctor Lee is working on that shield device we recovered from P3X513 and recovery efforts are going well on P363Q1. Once we destroyed those giant bugs, the planet was ours for the picking."

Bauer got to his feet. "It's too slow. It's a matter of time before Nirti, Cronos and Apophis get tired of fighting amongst themselves and come here. We HAVE to be ready."  
He stepped out from behind his desk and looked out the window of his office, his eyes settling on the Stargate, just barely visible through the briefing room window. President Kinsey was right, as much as it pained him to admit it. The Stargate was a Pandora's Box of hope and terror, and now that it was opened, it could never be closed.

And since they couldn't close it, they needed to do everything they could to protect Earth. Earth was the priority, just as it always should have been. 

"The Orbanian nanites are showing great promise," Samuels said, getting to his feet. "We know that they can absorb and transfer huge quantities of data. All we need to do is find a way adjust it to work better with the human physiology. The last report I received from Nellis said that the Orbanian trials were going well and that they hoped to move onto human subjects within the month."

Gordon nodded, his next words dying unspoken when the quiet of his office was shattered by the blare of the intruder alert klaxon. Abandoning their meeting, Gordon pulled open the door to his office and strode across the empty briefing room, Samuels hard on his heels.

He walked quickly down the stairs, his eyes darting towards the Stargate. The giant stone ring was quiet, the far wall visible through its hollow center. This made no sense, how could there be an intruder alert be triggered when the gate was quiet? Unless there was a ship. But no, he would have been notified via the red phone. "Report!" he barked.

"The alert came from level seventeen," the sergeant reported. "Security teams are on their way."

"Lockdown the base," Bauer ordered. "Did NORAD see anything?"

"Nothing, sir," the sergeant said. "The skies are clear."

The phone rang and Samuels answered it. He listened intently for a few seconds then lowered the phone, covering the mouthpiece with his hand. "Sir, security reports that they've apprehended a single male. He was unarmed and coming out of one of the store rooms."

"Nothing else?"

"No, sir. There's no other disturbance anywhere else."

Bauer sighed, grateful that the crisis appeared to be over, or at least contained. "Maintain the lockdown. Confine the intruder to the brig." He looked at Samuels. "I want him fully interrogated. I need to know how the hell an intruder got this deep into our facility."

"Yes, sir." Samuels turned and left the room, intent on following his orders.

"Tell security that I want a sweep of the base," Bauer ordered. "Level by level, room by room. Chances are this guy is alone but I want to make sure."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant picked up the phone to fulfill Gordon's request and Gordon turned on his heel, retreating back to his office. Hopefully the search would come up empty. And, equally hopefully, this man would turn out to be nothing more than someone with more curiosity than sense, or maybe one of the female personnel sneaking her boyfriend in for a quickie. If it was something simple like that then maybe he could get by without having to report the breach to the president.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"Take it easy," Daniel complained, struggling a bit as the two guards manhandled him into the holding room. They pushed him across the room and guided him to sit down in a rather uncomfortable if sturdy chair. "Hey!" he called out as they turned to leave him. "Are the cuffs necessary?"

He held up his bound hands, grateful that they'd at least bound his hands in the front and not the back. He hated when they were cuffed behind him. It was hell on the shoulders. Predictably, they ignored him and closed the door, leaving him behind.

Alone, and knowing that he wouldn't stay that way for long, Daniel sighed, grateful for the opportunity to gather his thoughts. This had to be an alternate universe; it was the only explanation that made sense.

Despite himself, his mind went back to just a few minutes before. They were dead, they had to be dead. His throat tightened and he swallowed, fighting the tears that pricked at his eyes. He couldn't do this, not now.

If his experience with Jack had taught him nothing else it was that they'd be in soon to interrogate him and he couldn't afford any sign of weakness. He didn't kid himself that he could go back. The mirror would probably work, but he doubted that he had anywhere to go back to. The mirror was probably like the Stargate, buried under tons and tons of rubble.

And if he was stuck here, he'd need to live here. And he'd need to convince this SGC that they needed a Daniel Jackson - presuming that they didn't already have one. If they did then…maybe they'd let him go and he could find somewhere else to live. Pick a new name, he'd have to do that. There couldn't be two Daniel Jacksons in a world, that would draw too much attention.

He'd have to find a new job too. He'd run into too many people he knew in the archaeological field. Maybe plain old teaching. That would be good. It'd be a nice change, something a bit more positive and upbeat. Maybe he could even forget that there were creatures out there that-

The door opened and Daniel jerked his attention away from his own thoughts and to the present. The future could wait. First things first, and first he had to convince them not to shoot him. 

A man walked in and Daniel frowned, struggling to recognize him. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" the man asked, standing across the table from Daniel.

Daniel's eyes narrowed in on the nametag on his uniform, the last name giving him all the information he needed. "Major Samuels," he said. "This wasn't quite what I was expecting."

"Actually, it's Lieutenant Colonel, and who the hell are you?" he asked, leaning against one of the chairs.

"Umm, my name is Daniel Jackson and I know what you're going to say," Daniel said, seeing the skeptical look on the man's face. "But I need you to listen to me. It will all make sense in the end."

Samuels shrugged and leaned back. "Ok, I'm listening."

"There's this theory. Every time a person makes a decision there's this alternate reality that splits off. Like, let's say that when you made the decision to join the Air Force, somewhere, sometime there's another Lieutenant Colonel Samuels that didn't join the Air Force. So there's a reality out there where you're a civilian and-"

"What does this have to do with you being in our base?" Samuels interrupted.

"There are devices that allow people to go between dimensions," Daniel said, tamping down his irritation. The theory was hard enough to explain, even harder when the skeptic wouldn't let him finish the story.

"And we have one of those here?" Samuels said, smiling patronizingly.

"Obviously," Daniel said. "Or I wouldn't be here."

"Or, let me run this one past you. One of our female personnel got a little lonely and abused her access - and our trust - to bring you in here for a little…recreation."

"Please." Daniel rolled his eyes. "Two years ago, on a planet called P3R233, did you find a whole room full of things. Stuff you couldn't figure out." Samuels' eyes narrowed, confirming the truth to Daniel. "Now in our universe, we, well I, touched the mirror and I found myself in an alternate universe. This universe was under attack by the goa'uld and I barely managed to get back to my own universe before that Earth was invaded."

"Invaded?" Samuels asked, leaning forward. "How?"

"The usual way the goa'uld attack," Daniel said. "By air and through the gate."

"How did you escape?"

"The goa'uld are only able to sustain a gate for thirty-eight minutes. As soon as the gate closed, we dialed out and I managed to return to P3R233 and get back through the mirror to my own universe."

"Let me see if I get this straight. This is the second time you've been to an alternate universe and the first time your arrival heralded a goa'uld attack?" Samuels asked pointedly.

"Well, yeah but…wait a minute, you're not-" Samuels raised his eyebrows, answering silently. "Look, is Colonel O'Neill here? Or Major Carter or Teal'c?" The door opened and an airman walked in, silently handing Samuels a piece of paper. "If I could just talk to one of them I'm sure we could clear all this-"

"You were on SG-1?" Samuels interrupted.

"Still am. Where are they? Are they on a mission? If I could just talk to Sam, she gets this whole alternate universe stuff and-"

"SG-1 is dead," Samuels interrupted. 

"Dead?"

"They're MIA, presumed KIA over a year ago on a mission." Samuels sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Anything else you'd like to ask for?"

Daniel sighed and closed his eyes. He raised his hands and scrubbed them over his face, taking a moment to collect himself. "Ok," he said after a second. "Another difference. That's to be expected. I just wasn't thinking it'd be so big. Umm…Look, I can't prove this to you. I can't prove that there are alternate universes, I can't prove that I am Daniel Jackson and I certainly can't prove that I'm not bringing on a goa'uld attack but-"

"You said you came through a mirror?" Samuels interrupted.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that big one in the store room."

"And it leads back to your universe?"

"It does but you don't want to go there. They set off the self-destruct right before I came through. There's nothing left. If I thought there was something left I'd go back. With any luck, the SGC is one giant hole in the ground."

"How many of these alternate universes do you think there are?" Samuels asked, ignoring Daniel's words.

"Thousands, millions maybe. We really don't know."

"And you know how to navigate these universes."

"In theory," Daniel said, struggling to keep up with the abrupt change in Samuels' demeanor. Previously he'd been smug and patronizing. Now he seemed interested, almost eager. "Although we've never considered exploring alternate universes. The danger is too great."

"Danger?"

"Not every universe is a good place. Some are overrun with goa'uld, some are…pick a scenario," Daniel said, looking Samuels in the eyes. "Any scenario, literally. According to Sam, somewhere out there is a universe where Earth still has dinosaurs, or where the goa'uld never left three thousand years ago or where the Bay of Pigs ended quite differently. It's too dangerous to play with."

"I see," Samuels said, getting to his feet. "Well, before I can begin to believe your story I need to verify who you are." He walked to the door and pulled it open. "Take this person to the infirmary. I'm going to call Doctor Frasier and tell her what tests to run," he ordered the airman. He looked Daniel in the eyes. "You will submit to these tests or you will be rendered unconscious for the duration. Presuming that these tests prove that you are who you say you are, we will discuss matters further at that time."

He left the room and Daniel got to his feet, very aware that if he wanted them to believe him he needed to start earning their trust. And he wasn't going to be able to do that if he fought them. Besides, it was kind of stupid to fight folks that were trained to kill you with their bare hands.

Daniel let them lead him out of the holding room and towards the elevators. He played back Samuel's words. _SG-1 is dead_. He hadn't thought of that. For some reason, it'd never crossed his mind that all his friends would be dead. Not that he'd had much time to think before touching the mirror, but during those few minutes while he waited for the security forces to come and get him, it'd never occurred to him that they'd be dead. 

He wanted to know how they died. What close call was too close, where they'd screwed up. At least Janet was still alive. Maybe he could find something out from her.

In a few minutes, they entered the infirmary, a room Daniel was grateful to see looked just like the one from his universe. Janet was standing in one corner, her back to the door and a phone to her ear. "Doc?" one of his escorts said.

Janet turned, nodding her acknowledgement. "Yes, sir. I'll take care of it." She hung up the phone and walked over to Daniel, narrowing her eyes as she got closer. "You cut your hair," she said.

"Yeah, the long hair was a real pain in the ass," Daniel said, heartened a bit by her welcoming demeanor. 

"I can imagine." She motioned towards one of the beds. "Over there please." Daniel followed her direction and made his way over to the bed, struggling a bit to hop up with his hands still bound in front of him. "Take off the cuffs, sergeant."

"Ma'am, he's an intruder and-"

"And I can't follow my orders and do a thorough examination with his hands tied," she said. "Take off the cuffs and wait at the door."

The man followed her orders, reaching in his pocket to pull out a key. Daniel held up his hands, grateful when the cuffs fell away. The sergeant retreated and Daniel instinctively rubbed his wrists, seeking to massage the pinched skin. 

"Take off your shirt."

Daniel looked up, staring at her. "Excuse me?"

"I need a blood sample. Take off your shirt," Frasier ordered, rolling a small table towards him. Daniel recognized the rubber tourniquet and phlebotomy tools. 

"Right," he said, realizing that she needed him to remove his heavy fatigue shirt so that she could get at his bare arm. He unbuttoned it as she pulled on her rubber gloves. "So, umm, been here long?" he asked, holding out his arm. She looked up at him, her gaze skeptical. "I'm just curious. This universe is a bit different from mine."

"I've been stationed at the SGC for two years now," she said softly, expertly swabbing the crook of his elbow.

"That's about the same as my Janet. She transferred here just before we visited P3X797. I think it's safe to say that without her we'd have died several times over." Frasier nodded non-comittaly. "How's Cassie?"

She looked up, frowning. "Who?"

"Umm, Cassandra. She was the sole survivor of P8X987. My Janet adopted her."

"Hanka?" Frasier asked, sliding the needle out of Daniel's arm and placing a cotton ball over the tiny wound.

"Yeah. Nirti poisoned the whole planet. Over 1400 people died, including SG-7. Cassandra was the sole survivor."

Frasier shook her head. "There were no survivors amongst the indigenous personnel. Once we realized that we'd lost the whole team, the planet was abandoned."

"You never looked for survivors?"

"There was nothing but corpses. We didn't even recover SG-7's bodies, the risk of contamination was too great."

"You left her there?" Daniel asked, horrified at the idea. God, they'd left Cassie behind? Trapped on that planet with no one but the bodies of her friends and family around her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. We didn't leave anyone on Hanka. There was no one alive there. We sent a MALP and two UAV's and they didn't pick up a single life sign."

"They didn't look hard enough," Daniel muttered. The ramifications overwhelmed him, the thought of Cassie being left behind to die enough to make him sick. The horrible part was, she could probably survive for a while. She was immune to the disease and there was plenty of food and water. With only one person eating it, Cassie could have survived for months probably. Of course, the food was in the village, which was also where all the bodies were. So she probably faced the choice, stay in her home and with the dead where all the food and shelter was, or she could leave all that and find somewhere better…all alone. All by herself.

"We need to run an MRI," Janet said, breaking into his thoughts. "When you're done with that, I should have the preliminary test results back and we can continue with the physical."

Daniel nodded, clinging to Frasier's calm tone to rein in his own sense of horror. "Fine," he said. He was stuck here and he had to play the game. And the only way to do that was to let them start believing him.

She waved the airmen over. "Take him to the MRI, Sergeant. Doctor Warner knows to expect him." She turned back to Daniel. "I trust you're not going to resist?" Daniel shook his head. "Good. The physical will take longer if I have to patch you up as well."

Daniel slid off the bed and followed the two guards out of the room. He let them lead him to the MRI room, knowing that it probably wouldn't help his case if he let them know that, despite the fact that he was a stranger here, he knew exactly where to go.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

"Take him over there," Janet ordered, barely looking up from the man she was working on. She turned her attention back to her patient, deftly tilting his head back to insert the endotrachial tube. "I'm in," she said, stepping back so that Nurse Rush could attach the ambu bag.

"Heartbeat's stabilizing."

"Get him down to x-ray," Janet ordered. "Doctor Macey's going to need a set of chest films before he can operate."

"Yes, ma'am."

The orderlies hurried to carry out her orders while Janet stripped off her gloves, tossing them into the red biohazard container before pulling another pair out of a box and moving onto the next patient. She glanced around the room, trying not to let the sight of a room full of injured people overwhelm her. Every bed was full, some of the injuries were minor, glancing burns or something as simple as cuts and bruises caused by hand-to-hand combat.

But others were much more severe. Captain Epps was already in surgery and it looked like he'd lose his leg, a close and direct blast from a staff weapon having destroyed a huge chunk of it. In fact, if it wasn't for the cauterizing effect of the staff weapon, he'd be dead right now.

"What happened?" 

Janet turned, remembering her other medical issue of the day. "Doctor Jackson, I'm sorry I kind of forgot all about you," she apologized.

"I can see why," he said. "It looks like you have your hands full. What happened?"

"SG-3, 5, 6 and 9 were on a mission. It didn't turn out so well," she said. "I'm not going to have time to finish your physical at the moment." She turned to the airmen. "Return Doctor Jackson to his cell. I'll send for him later."

"Yeah, of course," he said. "I understand."

He started to leave the room then stopped, stepping aside as two more guards walked in, escorting another person. "Damnit," Janet muttered. "I didn't send for her," she said, walking forward.

"General Bauer's orders, ma'am," the escort said.

"I thought you said they were dead?" Jackson demanded, moving away from his escorts. He was quickly restrained while the other two escorts blocked Janet's way, standing between her and their charge.

"We don't need her here," Janet said. "Things are under control."

"That's not what the general says, ma'am."

Ignoring the conversation and protests a slim figure moved amongst the beds, her gaze riveted upon the resting figures. Silently, she raised her hand, holding it over Lieutenant Quinn. 

"Let me go!" Jackson struggled ineffectually.

"Get him out of here," Janet ordered. "I'll send for him later."

"No! Don't-" The guards dragged Jackson out of the infirmary and Janet turned her attention back to the guards. 

"You can wait at the door," she said.

"Ma'am-"

"I can't stop her but I will not have you getting in the way. You will wait outside. It's not like she's going anywhere."

The guard sighed and stared at her for a second, seemingly to contemplate whether or not to challenge her. Finally, he nodded, motioning for his companion to join him outside.   
The second they were gone, Janet relaxed slightly, her eyes settling on the woman. The device in her hand snapped off, the golden beam fading. She stood beside the bed for a second, the fingers of her free hand digging into the bedclothes before she took a breath and moved away, making her way over to the next bed.

Janet watched her, knowing that she was witnessing a miracle, and a tragedy all at the same time. And all too aware that she couldn't do a damn thing about it.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Twelve steps. That's how far it was from one side of his cell to the other. Twelve steps. Daniel spun on his heel and paced across the tiny space, the exertion doing little to abate his nervous energy.

The two guards outside the door ignored him, just like they'd done since they'd pushed him into this room over an hour ago. He hated this, hated being in here. He couldn't get the answers he so desperately needed in this room.

Sam. He knew he'd seen her, but she hadn't seem to have recognized him. There was something strange about her too. She seemed not to see much of anything. He was glad to see her alive, incredibly thrilled to find a familiar face. But he still had the feeling that something was wrong. She was using the healing device, which was something he'd only seen his Sam do once, when she'd healed Cronos. He knew that she'd practiced with it a few time, but that she didn't like to use it, didn't like how it made her feel.

He felt a tiny bit of hope too. Just because SG-1 was dead, maybe it wasn't HIS SG-1. Maybe Jack and Teal'c were around here too.

The door opened and Daniel stopped pacing. Guard one walked in and Daniel stood still, stepping back as the man unlocked the door. "What's going on?"

"You're going back to the infirmary," he said, reaching for his waist and the cuffs dangling from his belt.

"I'll behave," Daniel promised, holding up his hands. The guard looked at him skeptically. "I promise."

He nodded and stepped back, obviously willing to let Daniel exit unrestrained but not trusting him enough to get close. Daniel walked out into the hall and made his way towards the infirmary, his two guards trailing him.

The room was quieter now, most of the beds empty and stripped of their used linens. An injured officer lay in one bed, hooked up to monitors and a far bed was shrouded, the privacy curtains drawn. "There you are," Frasier said, stepping out of her office. She pointed towards one of the empty beds. "If you would." Daniel followed her direction, hopping up on one the bed. "I need you to take off your shirt."

"What happened?" he asked, something telling him to keep his voice low. She looked at him. "Samuels told me that SG-1 was dead."

"They are."

Daniel shook his head. "Sam. I saw her. And she most definitely wasn't dead."

"Captain Carter's not on SG-1," she said evenly.

"Well, then-"

"Have you finished the exam yet?"

Colonel Samuels voice cut across the room and Daniel watched Frasier jump, an expression that he could only describe as fear fitting across her face. "We were just starting, sir," she said, glancing at him. "The events of this afternoon put me a bit behind schedule"

"I see," he said, coming to stand at her side. He looked over at the occupied bed. "Why is Captain Miller still here?"

"His condition-"

"His condition should have been taken care of by now."

"There were a lot of wounded, sir," she said, her tone now defensive.

"I didn't come down here for excuses."

"Colonel, with all due respect, she did all she could."

"She didn't do enough. Where is she?"

"Colonel-"

"Captain," he interrupted. "Where is she?"

Frasier looked over towards the shrouded bed and Samuels walked past her. "Sir, she's in no condition to-"

He ignored her and yanked back the curtains, revealing Sam lying on the bed. Daniel joined them, almost drawn to the sight of his friend. She was lying on top of the covers, a blanket drawn over her supine form. She looked familiar but different. Her face was more angular and her hair was longer than he was used to, spilling softly across the pillow. Daniel also thought she looked tired and worn out.

Samuels reached out and shook Sam, doing his best to wake her up. "Colonel!" Frasier protested. "She's not asleep, she's unconscious. You can shake her all week and she won't wake up."

"Would a stimulant work?" he asked.

"No." Frasier crossed her arms across her chest. "It'll be twelve to twenty-four hours before she's awake. No drug I can give her will change that."

Samuels glared at her. "And what am I supposed to tell Captain Miller when he wakes up and wants to know why he's still here?"

"That he's alive and that he's going to stay that way and he'll just have to be a little inconvenienced for the next few days," she said, her tone cold. "She can't help him if she's dead. And if you force her to heal him before she's fully regained her strength, she will die. And that's not going to help the general's casualty figures."

Daniel watched the exchange, the horror of their words sinking in. "That's what she was doing?" he asked, drawing attention to himself. "Healing people?" Samuels turned, obviously forgetting that Daniel had been in the room. "She's a person, not a walking sarcophagus."

"I don't know what universe you came from, Doctor, but here we make full use of all our resources to protect Earth from the goa'uld. And Carter is a rather valuable resource," he said.

"She's a person!" Daniel protested.

Samuels glared at him then turned to Frasier. "The second she's able, I need Walker healed. We have another mission scheduled Friday and we need every able body."

He stalked from the room and Daniel looked after him, waiting until he was gone before turning back to Frasier. "What the hell is going on here?"

"I have a funny feeling that our universes are more different than you think," she said softly. 

He waited while she checked Sam's pulse before laying her arm back down on the bed. She fussed with the blankets for a few seconds then motioned for Daniel to follow her. He walked away from the bed and Frasier drew the curtains, again shrouding the bed from the rest of the room.

He returned to his bed and hopped up on it, unbuttoning his shirt like he'd been doing before Samuels had walked into the room. "A little over a year ago, there was a mission to a planet called Nasyia," Frasier said.

Daniel nodded. "We had that too. The goa'uld invaded the planet and we evacuated the people. Sam got blended with a Tok'ra named Jolinar and brought it back to Earth. It took us a couple of days to figure it out. By then the Ashrak knew where she was. It attacked them and killed Jolinar, almost killed Sam too."

Frasier nodded. "That's pretty much what happened here. After the symbiote was killed, Captain Carter had a mental breakdown. After several days with no change in her condition, she was transferred to a care facility."

Daniel shook his head. "That never happened. Sam had…issues. But she snapped out of it. Cassie actually had a lot to do with it."

"Cassie?"

"The girl from Hanka. My Janet adopted her. Cassie and Sam had this connection and…Sam was back on duty in about a month or so."

Frasier looked behind her, as if she was checking for eavesdroppers. "Captain Carter vanished from the care facility about a week after she was admitted. No one had any idea where she was taken to. Three months ago she was transferred back here."

There was something odd in the tone of her voice and Daniel studied her, looking closely, searching her expressions for a clue. "Something happened to her, didn't it?"

"Officially? Nothing."

"Unofficially?"

Frasier paused and Daniel was afraid that he'd pushed too hard. "She doesn't talk," she finally said. "She lives on base in one of the holding cells. They escort her everywhere and…there are times when I wonder just how much she comprehends," she said.

"What do you think?"

"She's not fit for duty, not by a long shot."

"Then why is she here?"

"General Bauer has a rule. The injured only 'count' if they stay the night or are irreparably maimed." She looked him in the eyes, her unspoken message clear.

"He's using Sam to hide how many people he's losing?" he asked, horrified.

She nodded. "What happened to General Hammond?"

"General Hammond died over a year ago. General Bauer is the commander of the base now. Every raid he sends them on is a high risk mission. I know that the only thing Captain Carter does here is heal people. And I know that they're going to keep using her until they kill her."

While she talked, she took his blood pressure and temperature, writing down her findings on a chart. "How do you mean?"

"It takes her longer every time," she said. "And it takes more out of her. It's like every time she heals someone she gives up a piece of her life to do so."

"And eventually she's going to run out of pieces to give away."

Frasier nodded. One of the nurses walked in and handed her a piece of paper. "Thank you." She read it and looked up at Daniel. "Well, I'm sure you're not surprised to discover that, genetically anyway, you are Doctor Daniel Jackson."

"Not really, no."

"I didn't think so. Now that we know that you're not a goa'uld and that you are who you say you are, Colonel Samuels wants to talk to you."

"So, we're done?" he asked. He was expecting a complete physical, but she'd barely gotten beyond the basics.

"Yeah, we're done." She waved the two guards back into the room. "You better not keep the colonel waiting. He's not a patient man."

"Thanks," Daniel said.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel followed his escorts, realizing in just a few minutes that they were leading him down to the briefing room. As he walked, Frasier's words replayed in his brain. 

"I know that every raid they go on is a high risk mission. I know that the only thing Captain Carter does here is heal people. And I know that they're going to keep using her until they kill her."

This reality was different from his own, and he had a bad feeling that he was just beginning to find out HOW different. Now that he was looking for it, he noticed a difference in attitudes of the people. Everyone seemed tenser, more on edge than at his SGC. At first, he'd just attributed it to the difference in leadership. He had yet to meet the man, but General Bauer was certainly not General Hammond. The simple fact that Samuels was here spoke volumes. He remembered Jack telling him that the first thing Hammond had done when he'd taken over was to transfer Samuels after discovering that their leadership styles were not going to be a good match.

The high-risk missions also puzzled him. Yes, theoretically every mission the SGC went on was a risk, but General Hammond strongly believed in not risking lives unnecessarily. A trait that Daniel didn't think General Bauer shared.

They arrived in the briefing room and Daniel stopped, frowning at the sight of the mirror standing in the corner of the room. "Ah, Doctor Jackson, so glad you could join us," Samuels said. He walked towards Daniel, an alien device held in his hand. Daniel recognized it as one of the many things he'd seen on P3R233. Things he'd left behind in his reality.

"Colonel Samuels. What's going on?"

"It was time for us to have a little talk," Samuels said, gesturing towards one of the chairs. Daniel took a seat, cautiously looking around. The blast door was closed and the general's office was empty, leaving Daniel alone with Samuels and the two guards, both of which retreated to take up station by the two stairwells leading down to the control room.

Samuels set the item he was holding back on the table and motioned towards the mirror. "This is what you came through, right?" he asked.

"So, you believe me now?"

Samuels shrugged. "Doctor Frasier has verified your identity. Genetically you are Doctor Jackson. Which leaves me two possibilities. Either you're our Daniel Jackson who's somehow found his way back from the alien planet he was lost on, or you're from an alternate reality. Shockingly enough, the latter seems the most likely."

"Where were they lost?" Daniel asked, curious about his alter ego's demise.

"Some mission. They ran afoul of the local authorities and were imprisoned. Or so they say," Samuels said in response to Daniel's harsh look. "We attempted a recovery, it failed, and they were lost. Now, about this mirror," he said, changing subjects quickly. "You said that you'd been to an alternate reality before."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. I seem to have a knack for it."

"And you were with the team that recovered this device." He motioned towards the mirror.

"Yeah," Daniel said cautiously.

"So, you know how to work it."

"In theory. Why do you need to work it? I can't go back to my own reality, it was over run by goa'uld."

"But there are others," Samuels pressed.

"A near limitless amount," Daniel said slowly. "Every time someone makes a decision another reality is created but---"

"Then this could be Earth's salvation," Samuels interrupted.

"Salvation from what?"

"From the Goa'uld of course." Samuels walked over and stood in front of Daniel. "You see, Doctor Jackson, one of the greatest obstacles of this commands is the primitive state of the races it finds. The ones that are friendly have nothing that will help us protect ourselves and the ones that do have the technology aren't interested in sharing."

"So?" Daniel asked. "We have…had that same issue in my reality."

Samuels smiled. "Which is the beauty of my idea." He motioned at the devices lying on the table. "Which one is the controller for this mirror?"

"Controller?"

"My people have been all over this mirror and they can't get the image in it to change. Doctor Lee's theory is that it has a controller, something that allows you to choose realities. Which one of these devices is it?"

Daniel stared at him, the implications of his words sinking in. "You're going to raid other realities," he said. "Take from them what you couldn't get here."

"I'm doing what I can to rectify an untenable situation."

"You can't do this," Daniel protested.

"I can and I will. Don't worry, Doctor Jackson. I won't ask you to compromise your precious morals, just tell us which of these objects is the controller and my scientists will take it from there."

Daniel leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "No."

"Excuse me?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not going to let you destroy other realities like you've destroyed yours."

"It's yours too now," Samuels said, staring at Daniel, his eyes cold and narrow. "Is there a reason you're so reluctant to try and save it?"

"There are better ways to do it than to steal technology from other people!" Daniel said, getting to his feet.

"I don't care about the other people," Samuels said, moving to stand just inches from him. "I care about my planet. Do you?" he asked pointedly.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You said the last reality you visited was shortly thereafter attacked by the Goa'uld."

"So?"

"I wonder how that attack came to be?"

"The Goa'uld attacked from orbit, executing a plan they'd put into place months before. I arrived just hours before the attack," Daniel said.

"And yet, you survived."

"What the hell are you implying?"

Samuels shrugged. "Just pointing out a coincidence is all," he said smoothly. "Because there's no way you'd be a Goa'uld sympathizer, now is there?"

Daniel stared, astonished by the man's bizarre leap in logic. Just because he wouldn't help, he was working for the enemy? It made absolutely no sense at all…"Unless you're trying to goad me into doing what you want," he said out loud. "Shame me into telling you what you need to know."

"I'm just pointing out a different point of view," Samuels said.

"I'm not going to tell you which of these devices is the controller. I'm not even going to tell you IF you have the controller here. I am not going to let you raid and attack other realities just so that you can steal technology from other races," Daniel said.

"Somehow, I knew you were going to say that," Samuels said. He stepped back and motioned at the guards. "Take him to the holding cell on Level 23. And tell Sergeant Ratner that his assignment is a go." Samuels stared at Daniel and Daniel felt his stomach twist at the determined and cold look in his eyes. "You'll like Ratner," Samuels said. "He learned from the best, and he's very good at his job." The two guards came forth, each grabbing one of Daniel's arms. "The sooner you cooperate, the greater the chances you'll survive the experience," Samuels said, his voice following Daniel down the hall as he was dragged away.

/\/\/\/\/\

Janet hurried down the corridor, casting a wary eye at the camera in the corner. "Don't worry, doc. Matheson has our six," Siler reassured her.

"I hope so," she muttered, cursing her noisy heels. She knew that it might make her look like a coward, but while a part of her needed to do this, another part was more than a little afraid of the consequences.

"Doc? We can go back," he offered, turning to look at her.

She shook her head, taking a steadying breath. "We have to do this. I just want to make sure I have enough time to get it done."

"And stay off their radar," Siler said.

"Pretty chickenshit huh?"

"Hey, you can't help people if you're in the cell with them." As he talked he led them down a dimly lit hall to the last room. Janet knew that the room was secluded and the reason for that made her sick.

"This is one time that Samuels' paranoia is in our favor," he said, pulling a small ring of keys out of his pocket. "He did away with the key cards in some places so that he wouldn't leave a paper trail."

"Which means we won't leave one either," Janet said, her hand gripping her bag tightly.   
Siler nodded, selecting a key and shoving it into the lock. "March is going to page me as soon as they're out of their meeting," he said. Janet knew that they wouldn't have long, maybe an hour before Samuels and Kinsey got out of their meeting. She could only hope that it was enough time.

Siler pushed the door open and she followed him, wrinkling her nose at the smell. The room was mostly empty, a table cluttered with alien artifacts sat against one wall. In the center of the room was a chair and a small table. Janet's gaze skittered across the items on the smaller table, her stomach turning when she saw that most of them were smeared with blood.

Daniel Jackson was slumped in the chair, his arms bound to the arms of the chair while heavy plastic ties secured his ankles to the legs. His head hung over his chest, casting his face into shadow. His t-shirt was torn and ripped and she knew that only the black color of the shirt was disguising the fact that it was stiff and stained with blood.

"Damn," Siler muttered, carefully closing the door. "Is he dead?"

Janet knelt beside Jackson, reaching out to check his pulse. "Not yet," she said, feeling the vein flutter under her fingertips. "I need him out of this chair."

"We don't have time for that."

"Do you want me to help him or not?"

"Can't you do that without us moving him?"

"No." She looked up at him. "I need to examine him and I can't do it with him tied to this chair."

Siler sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small knife. "This is point of no return, doc," he warned. "We undo those ties and they'll know we were here."

"I know," she said, well aware of the line that they were crossing. He shrugged and applied himself to his task, making quick work of the ties. "Lay him down," she ordered as soon as Jackson was free. "Good lord," she muttered as Siler helped her lay Jackson out on the floor, the overhead lighting revealing all his injuries.

His face was battered and bruised, one eye swollen shut. The other cheek was split open, a thick stream of dried blood trailing down his chin and neck. Both wrists were bruised and abraded, from struggling against the restraints she thought.

She pulled the penlight out of her pocket and checked his pupils, relieved to find them responding relatively normally. "No concussion," she said. "Or if he has one, it's a mild one."

"That's good, right?"

"Maybe." Janet pulled up Jackson's t-shirt, gasping softly at the sight of deep bruises marring his chest and abdomen. "It's also the least of our worries."

"Ratner loves his work," Siler muttered while Janet explored Jackson's chest, her fingers finding maybe one broken rib. She moved lower, cursing softly when she encountered a particularly ominous looking bruise. "It's bad, ain't it?"

"I can't patch this up," she said, looking up at Siler. "Not without a couple of hours of surgery."

"Surgery?"

"He's bleeding internally, I'm betting his spleen is ruptured. He's gonna die."

"So maybe we just put him back in the chair and you give him something to hurry it along," Siler suggested.

"You want me to kill him?"

"You said it yourself, he's dying."

"Dying is NOT dead," she said. "What the hell did you think I was going to do when you asked me to help?"

"I dunno, give him a painkiller or something. Help him out a little."

"The only way I can help him out is to operate on him," she said. "Euthanasia is not an option."

"We take him out of here, we'll be the next people in that chair."

Janet stared down at her patient, watching as he stirred slightly, a flicker of pain crossing his face. Siler was right, there was nothing they could do to help him. Not without risking exposing themselves. She couldn't just patch Jackson up. His injuries were beyond patching, in fact, she'd guess that he had just hours to live. And even with surgery, it was very possible that the damage was too great. If his liver was involved then it was possible that there'd be nothing they could do and…"We gotta get him out of here," she said quickly.

"You just said that-"

"I know what I said," she interrupted. "He stays here, he's dead. We're dead. We have to get him off world. It's the only place he'll be safe."

"There's no way we can get him down to the gate room," Siler said. "Hell, we'll be lucky to get him to the infirmary without one of Samuels' spies catching us."

"We're not going to the infirmary. Go upstairs, get Carter down here," she ordered.

Siler stared at her for a second. "Doc, you don't like it when they use Carter like this," he reminded.

"I don't. But she's the only chance we have to save him. Go get her and bring her down here. I also need a change of clothes for him."

Siler paused for a few seconds and Janet was afraid that he'd refuse to help her. He couldn't do that, she couldn't do this without his help. "Ok," he finally said, sighing heavily. "I hope to hell you know what you're doing, doc."

He got to his feet and left the room, carefully checking the hall before he stepped out. Janet waited until he was gone before she sighed, looking down at her patient. "I hope so too," she muttered, reaching into her bag. 

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sergeant Dan Siler hurried down the halls, desperately trying to figure out how he could get Carter from her room to the holding cell without alerting any of Samuels' men.   
Getting her out of her room wasn't really an issue, his set of master keys would take care of that. But navigating the three levels between her room and Jackson's holding cell was a totally different issue.

There was no way Matheson could disable all the cameras so Dan knew that he'd leave a record of his actions. Even more problematic was all the witnesses. Dan knew the identities of a lot of Samuels' cronies, but not all of them. He figured even if he got Carter to the doc and back to her room without being caught, there was no way he'd do it without it being noticed.

"I hear Acapulco's nice this time of year," he muttered softly, digging the keys out of his pocket. Going AWOL was about the only option he had. He knew, even if he resigned tomorrow, he'd still be hunted down and arrested, likely on charges of treason.

That was the attitude of the government now. Their way or the highway. Anyone that spoke out was quickly discredited, and if that failed, they vanished. 

Taking one last glance up and down the hall, Dan shoved the key into the lock and opened the door, quickly entering the room.

It was dark so he reached out flipping on the light switch. The lights blared on and Dan blinked quickly to clear his vision. The room was sparsely furnished, consisting of little more than a cot, table and chair and a small armoire.

A figure was curled up in the bed and she stirred, pushing back the blankets. She blinked, frowning as she looked at him. He knew that she wasn't used to him, Samuels trusted only a few of his men to be her 'handlers'.

"Captain Carter, we need your help," he said, keeping his voice low. She didn't speak but he expected that. According to the rumors, the last time anyone heard her speak was before SG-1's mission to Nasyia over a year ago.

Some suggested that the goa'uld had done something to her and damaged her somehow, but Dan didn't think so. When he looked at Carter, he saw something in her gaze, something lingering and present. It reminded him of a philodendron left in an abandoned office for a few months. There was still a fragment of life and intelligence left even if the rest of it was slowly withering away from neglect. 

Not for the first time, he wished that her team was still alive. Colonel O'Neill would never have stood for this. Thinking of Colonel O'Neill reminded Dan of his mission. "Someone is hurt. We need your help," he said.

She nodded and pushed the blanket aside, revealing that she was sleeping in a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt. He stood awkwardly by the door while she slid her feet into a pair of simple tennis shoes and got to her feet. She walked slowly towards him and Dan stared, something seeming odd. "Oh," he said, realizing what was wrong. "Where's the aah, umm, you know." He gestured with his hand and she turned, crossing to the armoire. She pulled open a small drawer and pulled out the healing stone, turning back to face Dan.

"Ok, then, let's go." Dan opened the door, refusing to admit that maybe he was just as bad as Samuels. He led her out into the hall, careful to turn off the light and close the door behind them. Maybe, if he was really, really lucky no one would notice that she was missing for a while.

The stairway was closer than the elevator and he led her into it, reaching out to take her hand to guide her up the stairs. She tried to pull away and he looked over, smiling to reassure her. "It's ok. We're just doing things a little differently this time."

Fortunately, she didn't struggle but tightened her fingers in his and followed him up the stairs. He made his way back to Jackson's cell, encountering no one along the way. He opened the door of the room and pulled Carter in before shutting the door. The doc was just as he'd left her, kneeling at Jackson's side.

The man's shirt was open and it looked like the doc had cut it off. His chest was bruised and sickening splashes of purple and red marred his pale skin. The doc had a needle in her hand and looked to be finishing sewing up a cut over his eye. "Doc?"

"Good," she said, looking up. "I've done what I can." She leaned back on her haunches and waved them forward. "Captain Carter, he's bleeding internally. That's what I need you to fix. Don't worry about the superficial injuries. They'll heal on their own. I just need you to stop the bleeding inside his chest," she instructed.

Carter walked over to them and knelt at Jackson's side. She reached out and touched his face, brushing his lank hair off his forehead. Dan saw her look up at the doc, a question on her face. "He's not your Daniel," Doc said. "He's from an alternate reality. Samuels has…well you can see what he did. We've got to get him out of here before Ratner can finish the job. And to do that, we need you to help him. Can you help him?"

Carter nodded and slid the stone onto her hand, holding it out over Jackson's chest. As Dan watched, the stone sprang to life, a warm orange beam washing over the man's abused skin. Despite himself, Dan stared, watching with morbid fascination as the bruises faded and the bones of his ribs shifted, moving back to where they were supposed to be.

After several minutes, the device turned off and Carter slumped, only the doc's quick actions keeping her from falling on Jackson. Dan lunged forward, supporting some of Carter's weight so that the doc could examine Jackson.

Dan held her close, carefully sliding the stone off her slack hand. "Doc?"

Frasier pulled her stethoscope from around her neck, putting the ends into her ears and listening to Jackson's chest. "His chest is clear," she said, "Heartbeat's strong." As she spoke, Jackson stirred, moaning softly. His eyes opened and he looked up at them.   
"You're ok," Frasier reassured him.

"What the hell?" His eyes settled on Carter. "You didn't." He looked at Doc. "You said-

"I know what I said," she interrupted. "But you were dying and I don't have time to crack your chest." She looked up at Dan. "I have a plan."

"Well, that's good, doc. I hope it includes Mexico or some other country without extradition," he said, shifting his hold on Carter a bit as she stirred in his arms.

"I wasn't thinking about another country," she said, helping Jackson sit up. Dan raised his eyebrows, intrigued by the crypticness of his response. "They run tests at night don't they?" she asked. "Working their way through the dialing program and finding planets to send MALPS to."

"Every night but…Doc, what are you thinking of?"

"The one place Samuels can't get his hands on them," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Jackson asked, slowly scrubbing his hands across his face, wincing when his fingers encountered some of the bruises.

"We can't get you off this base. The security's too tight. And even if we did, you'll never be able to hide. Kinsey will just release an APB, labeling you an enemy menace and the whole world will hunt you down. But on the other side of that gate…surely you can find a planet where they can't find you, where you guys can be safe."

Jackson shook his head. "Guys?"

Frasier looked at Dan, her gaze steely and she sighed. "We'll get you to the gate room and to one of the planets. From there, you can go somewhere else. But you have to take her with you."

"Doc?" Dan protested. "She's in no shape to go through the gate. That's presuming we can even get them into the gateroom. There's the control room staff and the security contingent, not to mention the five levels of personnel between here and there."

"Five levels of personnel that are sick and tired of this. That are tired of exploring new planets just to watch them be raided and stripped of all their natural resources."

"They're also afraid of getting on Samuels' bad side and getting 'disappeared' like every one else that's spoken up," Dan said.

"Can you get us through the gate without getting yourselves killed?" Jackson asked. His voice sounded a bit stronger than it had a few minutes before even though he still looked like death warmed over to Dan.

"What about your reality?" Dan asked. "The mirror is just two levels up, I can get you there no problem."

Jackson shook his head. "My reality is gone."

"And you don't have the controller to pick another one," Frasier said.

Jackson turned his head to look at her. "I didn't say that. But Sam…my Sam, had a theory. Something about cascades or something but anyway, the crux of it is that two of the same people can't exist in the same reality at the same time. If your Daniel Jackson is dead, then I can stay here for a while. I don't have that kind of guarantee with another realty and I really don't feel like taking the time to look."

"I know where the tranquilizer darts are," Frasier said slowly, looking at Dan. "The ones we used to subdue Hathor."

"Better than that. We recovered some goa'uld shock grenades last week," Dan said, well aware of the ramifications of what he was agreeing to.

"I've been to about thirty different planets and I know a few dozen from other teams," Jackson said. "I can find us somewhere to stay. Can you arrange some sort of distraction?" Jackson asked.

"Distraction?"

"Something…I dunno, an intruder alert at the surface. Something to get the gate room guards distracted. We can use grenades to take care of the rest. We can dial the gate and be gone in a few minutes."

"You'll take Sam with you?" Frasier asked. 

"She's dead weight, doc," Dan said. "There's no way he can be on the run and-"

"She's coming with me," Jackson interrupted. "My Sam would rather die fighting than be used like this. I'm not leaving her behind."

"Ok," Dan said. "This is going to take a little time to set up. We gotta find a place to stash you two."

"We can't take too long," Frasier said. "Bauer's meeting-"

"Half an hour, doc. It'll take me that long to get the grenades."

"In my SGC, there's a storeroom on level 22. No one uses it. They say it's haunted and-"

"So's ours," Frasier interrupted.

"You take them there," Dan instructed. "I'll round up the rest."

"I can get you some food and clothes," Frasier said. "Something to get you started."  
Jackson nodded. He slowly got to his feet, not shaking off the Doc's offer of help. Dan watched as he limped over to the table and picked up one device, grasping it tightly.   
"This is coming with me," he said, holding out what Dan could only guess was the controller to the mirror. There was a steely look in his eyes that suggested that no one was going to take the item from him. And Dan wouldn't even dream of it. Jackson had more than paid his dues and anyway, if that really was the controller, Dan didn't want Samuels getting it anymore than Jackson did. "Now, can we get the hell out of here. This room is giving me the creeps."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel heard the door shut behind him and he sighed, relaxing in the relative safety of the storeroom. They weren't safe, not by a long shot, but they were a damn sight safer here than in that room.

Memories of the last…however the hell long it'd been, washed over him and he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "Not now," he muttered. "Not now, not now, not now, not now." He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, forcing the memories away. He could deal with them later…much, much later.

Remembering that he wasn't alone, Daniel looked over at his companion, really seeing her for the first time. She looked a lot like his Sam, physically she was almost identical. Her hair was a bit longer and a bit ragged, like it hadn't been given a proper cut for months. Her face was a bit leaner and he thought that he saw tinges of grey at her temples. She was standing on the other side of the store room, her hands clutched close to her side and her eyes riveted on him.

"What the hell did they do to you?" he asked rhetorically, moving towards her.   
Predictably, she didn't answer, instead she edged away from him, keeping her distance.   
"Yeah, great. You know all the times Jack wanted you to shut up and now you do," he rambled, limping heavily. She might have healed the worst of the damage to his chest, but he still felt like hurt. His face was sore, no doubt the result of more than one punch and slap. The side of his face itched and he explored it, his fingers trailing up a streak of dried blood to encounter the familiar prickles of stitches. His head ached, his jaw was sore and he was relatively sure that he had more than a couple loose teeth.

All in all, he felt like crap and wanted nothing more than to just curl up in a corner and sleep for a week or three. But he couldn't do that, not yet. They had to get the hell out of here first.

He slowly explored the storeroom, slightly disappointed to discover that there was little more stored in there than paper and other useless stuff. Belatedly remembering the clothes Siler had given him, Daniel looked around, searching for somewhere to change.

He found nothing, the room was furnished with little more than rows of shelves and cabinets. He turned back to look at Sam, holding the clothes in one hand and the mirror controller in the other. "I'm aah, you mind?" He gestured for her to turn around.

She looked at him, her eyes narrowing a bit, but she didn't move. "Fine," he shrugged, reaching out to set the controller and clothes down on one of the shelves. "You've seen most of it before anyway."

He slowly peeled off his filthy clothes, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He wished for a shower. Well, to be honest, he really wanted a nice long hot bath and some of Janet's special drugs, but he'd settle for a shower, something to get the stink of a day's worth of sweat and blood off his skin.

A flash of movement caught his eyes and he looked up, watching as a bottle of water rolled across the floor to stop at his feet. "Thanks," he said, glancing over at her. He picked up the water and twisted off the lid, taking a deep drink before he moistened his t-shirt and used it as a makeshift washcloth. In a few minutes, he was cleaner than before and redressed in the new clothes. 

"Siler should be back in a few minutes," he said as he stashed his clothes behind a box. He knew she wouldn't answer but he felt the need to talk…if for no other reason than to keep his mind off the past several hours. "Then we can see if we can make it down six levels, through armed guards and the titanium iris and find us a nice planet to hide out on. Piece of cake," he quipped, pasting an odd grin on his face.

She didn't respond and Daniel sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "You know, this silent thing is getting old." Daniel heard a sound and looked at the door, staring in horror as the door knob turned. Sam scurried behind one of the shelves, ducking down just as the door opened.

Much to his relief, a familiar face appeared, closing the door behind him. "Siler," Daniel said. 

"Jackson." He looked around. "Where is she?"

Daniel pointed at Sam as she peeked out from behind the shelf. "What's the plan?"

"The main blast door is going to malfunction in about ten minutes," he said, glancing at his watch. "Doc's already in the triage room on level 28. At our signal, she's gonna take out the control room-"

"Janet?" Daniel interrupted, picking up the controller.

"It's one of those goa'uld grenades. Even she can handle it," Siler said. "I'll do the same in the gate room. We'll dial out and get you guys through."

Daniel nodded, accepting that there was only so much they could do. "Do you know where SG-1 was lost?" he asked, glancing over as Sam stepped out from behind the shelves, joining them.

"What?"

"What planet were they lost on?"

Siler shook his head. "Umm, it has some funky…Tal, Talcum…"

"Taldor?"

"Yeah, I think that's it," Siler confirmed.

"They could still be alive then," Daniel said.

"You're kidding? It's been over a year."

"If Jack could survive by himself in an Iraqi prison for four months, he can survive in Hedantes for a year," Daniel said. "Especially if he has Teal'c with him."

Siler shook his head. "Whatever," he dismissed. "I think you're a damn fool but I don't have time to argue," he said. "We gotta go, and we gotta go now."

Daniel looked over at Sam, gesturing for her to join them. The three of them cautiously left the store room and made their way down the hall, Daniel and Siler flanking Sam like they were escorting her. 

They slipped into one of the back halls, using a maintenance access stairway to climb down to level 28. "Lay low until I give the signal," Siler said, holding up the tranquilizer gun. Daniel nodded and hung back, Sam close but not too close.

"Just stay close to me," Daniel said, glancing at her. "This shouldn't be too tough." He ignored how empty his reassurance sounded. It shouldn't be too tough. Or it could be the toughest battle of their lives. In his SGC he'd know that the guards, while doing their job, would temper than job with rationality. But this SGC bore little resemblance to his and Daniel wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to find out that Samuels and Bauer authorized deadly force.

The thought of being captured made Daniel's stomach churn. He didn't want to go back to that room and literally wanted to die first. And he had a funny feeling that Sam would feel the same.

A few muffled cries filtered down the hall and Daniel felt his adrenaline surge. "Here we go," he said, reaching out to take Sam's hand. Fortunately, she didn't pull away and Daniel led her out into the hall. They crept along the walls, keeping as low of a profile as possible. Just as he reached the side door to the gateroom, it opened and Daniel raised his tranquilizer gun, lowering it quickly when he recognized Doctor Frasier. "Come on," she urged and Daniel hurried forward, pulling Sam behind him.

Half a dozen bodies lay on the floor, all sprawled unconsciously. Daniel heard a clunking sound and looked, catching sight of the gate spinning. He looked up and saw Siler seated in front of one of the consoles, obviously controlling the gate. "This was all I could get," Frasier said, holding out a small satchel. "There's a few days worth of rations and some medical supplies."

Daniel took it, handing it over to Sam before he bent over and relieved one of the guards of his weapons, struggling to roll the man over to grab his extra ammunition and knife. "What about you two?" he asked, standing up as the fourth chevron locked.

"We'll be ok," Frasier said, smiling weakly. "You need to go."

"Where is he sending us?"

"I don't…" she looked up at Siler.

"Broca," Siler said over the speaker. "You can turn a 180 and go somewhere else as soon as you arrive. Which I really suggest you do."

"You should stay away from familiar planets," Frasier said. "Eventually they'll figure it out. And if they don't come looking for you, they will for that." She motioned towards the controller in Daniel's hand.

The seventh chevron locked and the gate whooshed open. "You could come with us," Daniel offered impulsively. "I know of a lot of planets we can hide on."

"Thank you but-" Alarms began to blare and Frasier cut off, looking up. "GO! Now!" she yelled, pushing Daniel towards the gate. He turned and hurried towards the ramp, reaching out to grab Sam's hand and pull her behind him. The pair of them dashed up the ramp and through the Stargate, leaving the SGC behind.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack rolled over, cursing under his breath at the thin lumpy mattress. Then again, he was one of three people in the caves that possessed mattresses, so he couldn't complain too loudly. He heard someone else moving around and he resisted the urge to open his eyes.   
Their cave was their cave, and none of the other denizens dared to encroach on their space. The sound of a knife scraping on wood drifted through the cave and Jack groaned, rolling to his back. "Damnit, Lorne, can't you give it a break?" he muttered.

"With all due respect, sir. Shut up," Lorne said, his tone belaying his disrespectful words. Jack opened his eyes and glared at the captain before settling back down on the mattress, his arms stretched up and his hands cradling his head. Lorne was a good guy and he'd changed a lot since his first - and only - mission with SG-1. "How many damn chess sets do you have now?" Jack asked, referring to the man's woodcarving hobby.

Fortunately, or not, there was no shortage of material in the caves. Most of the walls were lined with roots and vines, giving Lorne an unending supply of things he could whittle and mess with.

"Five," Lorne answered. "Plus the three checkers sets."

"Why can't you make something useful, like a DHD," Jack groused.

"Find me a power source and I'll make you a DHD," Lorne snapped back, falling into a well established pattern of banter. "Cause, with no batteries, it's kinda useless."

Jack dropped the subject, admitting the truth to himself. As much crap as he gave Lorne about his hobby, he envied him in a way. At least he HAD a hobby, had a way to fill the endless hours.

A distant sound funneled through the corridors and Jack sat up, his senses instantly alert. "It's not time for food," Lorne said needlessly, setting his carvings aside.

"Must be a new prisoner," Jack said, rolling to his feet. He left their grotto, Lorne at his heels and made his way towards the main chamber. Teal'c joined them and the three of them stood there, waiting for the gate to finish dialing.

Around them, Jack sensed the other prisoners gathering around them, all curious as to the new arrivals. Of course, there really wasn't much else to be interested in. Rehabilitating the inmates wasn't high on the Taldor's list of priorities. "We will not benefit from an increase in the population," Teal'c said softly. Jack had to agree with him. In the year he'd been a 'guest' of the Taldor he'd noticed that their food rations didn't increase as the population did. Which meant that more prisoners meant less food, and Jack knew that it would only fuel another uprising.

"Had to happen eventually," Jack said, refusing to let the futility of their situation get to him.

The Stargate opened and Jack straightened up, watching the shimmering event horizon. Two figures stumbled through, their shapes in silhouette until the gate snapped shut, plunging the chamber into darkness. Jack frowned. Something about them was familiar. Despite himself, Jack stepped forward, mentally urging his eyes to adjust quicker.   
Discordant whistling started to echo through the chamber and Jack sighed. He'd seen the 'greeting' before, too many times before. The newcomer called out, his voice drowned out by the whistling. 

"O'Neill?" Jack ignored Teal'c's questioning word as he stepped forward, drawn to the newcomer. It was stupid of him to go forth. A few of the inmates were like them, basically innocent and 'harmless' but some weren't. Psychosis apparently was a universal affliction and they'd had more than their share of nuts and weirdoes.

"Jack?"

"Did I just hear what I think I heard?" Lorne asked, moving closer to Jack.

The other denizens of the prison started to close in, forcing the two newcomers to close ranks. "Jack!"

"That voice is familiar," Teal'c said.

"It can't be," Jack said, denying the familiarity of the voice.

"They're gonna cream em," Lorne said.

"Not if we can help it," Jack muttered. "Back off!" he yelled, asserting his authority. The other denizens listened to them, even if it was more of a tolerance thing than any real respect. "BACK OFF!" he yelled louder, moving forward, Teal'c and Lorne at his side.

The denizens reluctantly backed off, clearing a path for them to walk through.  
"Jack, thank god," the newcomer gasped. "I knew you'd be alive. If anyone could still be alive in here, it'd be you. And Teal'c, it's so good to see you, and…whoever the hell you are."

Jack ignored the man's ramble, his gaze riveted on the man's face. It couldn't be. "Someone tell me that I'm not hallucinating," Jack requested.

"If you perceive that this newcomer bears a resemblance to Daniel Jackson, then you are not hallucinating," Teal'c said.

"Jackson's dead," Lorne said.

"Apparently not," Jack said, finally getting close enough to make out some details. The newcomer not only sounded like Daniel, he looked like him too. And he looked like he'd gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson. His face was bruised and battered and Jack could see a neat row of stitches on his forehead. His lip was split and one eye was black and swollen.  
"Captain Carter."

Jack turned his attention to the other newcomer and was shocked to find her familiar. "Carter?" It had been more than a year since he'd seen his former second in command but he still recognized her, even if barely. She lurked close to Jackson's side, almost cowering under the scrutiny of the denizens.

"What the hell's going on?" Lorne demanded. "Is this night of the living dead?"

"I don't know," Jack said, turning his attention to the man. "Who are you?"

"Jack, don't you recognize me? I'm Daniel-"

"Ah," Jack interrupted, raising his hand. "Daniel Jackson's dead."

The newcomer raised his eyebrows. "I'm dead?"

Jack looked him from toe to the top of his head. "You look pretty alive to me. Which is odd considering that we buried you eleven months ago."

The newcomer sighed. "Just once," he ranted softly. "Just once I want to find an alternate universe where I'm alive."

"Alternate universe?" Lorne asked.

"That's where I'm from. I'm not your Daniel Jackson and…" He swayed slightly, closing his eyes. Jack watched as what little color the man had in his face drained away.

"Teal'c," Jack said, reaching out to catch Daniel as his knees folded. "Let's continue this somewhere quieter." Teal'c took Daniel's weight from him and Jack looked at Carter, frowning when he saw her just standing there. He made a move towards her but she backed away. "Lorne, get Carter," he ordered. "Let's go back to the grotto. Something tells me that this is going to take a while."

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Kevin Lorne followed his companions back to their grotto, his attention torn between the woman he was escorting and the other denizens. Ahead, O'Neill and Teal'c supported Daniel Jackson's - if that's who he really was - weight between them leaving Kevin to take care of the woman and Jackson's sole piece of luggage, a large satchel.

Kevin glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of a couple of the bolder denizens lurking just barely in the shadows. This definitely did not look good. They were too bold for his comfort.

Ever since he'd killed Vishnoor a year ago, O'Neill had earned the position of leader, which meant that Kevin and Teal'c as his friends, were immune from being accosted. But Kevin had a funny idea that that was going to change now.

"Boss, I think we have a problem," he said as soon as they were in the grotto.

"Only one?" O'Neill asked as he and Teal'c lowered Jackson onto O'Neill's pallet.

"The natives are restless," Kevin said, releasing his grip on the woman. She left his side, slowly edging her way towards Jackson. Kevin couldn't help but notice the wariness in her motions. She was acting like she was terrified of them all.

"They'll settle down," O'Neill dismissed.

"I do not believe that your assessment is correct," Teal'c said, staying out of O'Neill's way as he examined Jackson.

"Maybe if it was just him," Kevin said, gesturing towards Jackson. "She's gonna be a problem."

In their year here they'd run across only two female prisoners. One, Linea, had died just hours after their arrival. The second, Zarian, died just last month, a failed pregnancy and no real medical care costing her her life.

"Yeah," O'Neill agreed, looking up at the skittish woman. Zarian had fit right in, her experience as a prostitute giving her a value and place in the prison society. "Carter?" he asked, getting to his feet. "Where the hell have you been and what are you doing here?" As O'Neill talked, Carter moved away from him, slowly backing up until she was pressed against the wall.

"She doesn't talk," a weak voice said. O'Neill turned, making his way back to the pallet and the man lying on it. 

Jackson's eyes were open and he was slowly propping himself up, with more than a little assistance from Teal'c. "Then you better fill us in," Jack said, squatting down beside Jackson.

Teal'c scooped up a small bowl of water and handed it to Jackson. The man drank deeply before settling back, thanking Teal'c with a quick smile. "A couple days ago, my SGC was attacked. The gate was breached and I think there were ships in orbit. I stumbled across the quantum mirror and I went through. I wound up in your reality."

"I thought General Hammond got rid of that mirror," Lorne said.

"So did I," Jack said.

"Hammond's not at the SGC anymore," Jackson said.

"What?"

"There's a General Bauer in charge. Samuels is his second."

"When the hell did this happen?" Jack demanded.

Jackson shook his head. "I don't know. All I do know is that the SGC is totally different from what it's supposed to be. They're not exploring, they're raiding, pillaging planets. They're pirates for lack of a better word."

"Did they make you walk the plank?" Jack asked, pointing at Jackson's bruised face.

"It's Samuels' method of 'persuasion' if he's not getting what he wants," Jackson said.

Jack nodded. "How bout her?" He jerked his thumb at Carter who was still lurking in the corner of the grotto.

Jackson shook his head. "I'm not sure. Even Janet didn't know for sure. She disappeared from the hospital she was in and showed up at the SGC a couple of months ago."

"Why?" Kevin asked. "She sure as hell ain't fit for duty." He looked at her, seeing not only the wary look on her face, but her clothing as well. No matter how much the SGC had changed, he didn't think sweatpants and a sweatshirt was proper off-world attire.

"They don't use her for that," Jackson said. 

"Use her?"

"She can use goa'uld stuff, namely the healing stone. Bauer uses her to keep his casualty figures down." Jackson's tone was derisive and bitter.

"How can she use that stuff?" Jack asked.

"It is possible that her abilities stem from her possession by the goa'uld," Teal'c said.

"Really?" Kevin asked.

"Every goa'uld has the ability, some possess a greater skill than others."

"Carter's goa'uld is dead," Jack said.

"Captain Carter was the first host that I was aware of to survive the possession," Teal'c said. "Her condition is quite unique. It is possible that the remnants of Jolinar left within Captain Carter's body allow her to control the devices, as it did Kendra."

"Ok," Jack said, pushing his fingers through his hair. "That still doesn't explain how you got here. WHY you got here." He gestured at their surroundings. "This isn't exactly a vacation hot spot."

"We came for you. Or, originally I was going to come for you, but we had to get Sam out of there so…here we are," Jackson said.

"The SGC was so bad you decided to piss off the Taldor and go for life in prison instead?" Kevin asked.

Jackson smiled. "Who said anything about the Taldor?"

"If the Taldor did not send you here, how did you come to be a prisoner?" Teal'c asked.

"My SG-1 ran across this planet a year ago. But Sam was with us and between her and Linea we figured out a way to power the gate and dialed out. I remembered the address from when the Taldor sent us here the first time so I just dialed it direct."

"Which explains this," Kevin said, holding up the bag he'd been exploring while the others talked. "He's got food."

"I have more than food," Jackson said, reaching to the small of his back and pulling out a Beretta. 

"Sweet," Jack said, taking the weapon from him.

"Macaroni and cheese," Kevin said, holding up the packet. "He's got macaroni and cheese." Kevin's mouth was watering, the prospect of real food making his stomach churn. He ignored the fact that he considered a MRE to be 'real' food. After a year's worth of porridge and the occasional barbequed rat, he didn't know if he remembered what real, fresh food was.

"You did not journey here merely to deliver supplies or to seek refuge," Teal'c said.

Jackson looked at him, then at Jack. "No one gets left behind," he said softly.

A silence settled over the group and Kevin saw Jack look at Jackson, a bit of respect displacing the skepticism. 

"You know," Kevin said, breaking the silence. "We still have a problem." Everyone turned to look at him. "You said that your Sam Carter and Linea figured out how to get the gate to dial."

"Right."

"We have neither of those."

"What?" Jackson asked.

"Linea's dead," Jack said. "Died in a cave-in soon after we were sent here."

"And I think it's safe to say that Carter won't be contributing much," Kevin said.

"Do you remember how they did it?" Jack asked.

"Umm, maybe. Something about a root and one of her things." He looked up and around the room. "This is Linea's room?"

"Yeah, we inherited it."

Jackson nodded. "It was some tay…tam…some root that starts with a T."

"Tao Root," Teal'c said. "Many of the denizens employ it as a food source."

"That sounds right. Something in one of these bottles made it glow. Sam was rambling on about fusion and something. Anyway, it was enough to power the gate."

"You know, it wouldn't take that long to try," Kevin said. "There's only about eighty bottles up there."

"That much Tao Root may be difficult to procure," Teal'c said.

"But not impossible," Kevin said, buying into the plan. It was a long shot to say the least. But it was the best chance they'd ever had to get the hell out of this place.

Jack nodded. "Teal'c, you, Lorne and I will start digging up the root. Jackson, you stay here." He looked over his shoulder. "Keep her in here too." Jackson raised his eyebrows. "Trust me on this. She's gotta stay in here."

"OK," Jackson agreed. 

Jack got to his feet and turned to leave the grotto, then turned back. He held out the Beretta, butt first, to Jackson. "Anyone but us tries to come in here, use it. And don't think twice."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c meditated in his corner of the grotto, his eyes closed but his ears open. He could hear his companions on the other side of the chamber, each busy with their self-appointed tasks. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were experimenting with Linea's tinctures, applying each one in turn to the bits of the Tao Root, hoping to recreate the reaction that Daniel Jackson said was needed to generate power.

Captain Lorne sat beside Captain Carter and, judging by the steady rasp of a knife against wood, was entertaining her with his woodcarving. As she had been for the past few days, the woman remained silent. She refused to interact with any of them, save Captain Lorne.  
Beyond their grotto, Teal'c could hear the sound of an impending confrontation. He was the only one who ventured from the grotto in recent days, save for meal time, and each time he sensed more and more hostility from the denizens. They were often gathered in small groups, discussing and staring at them as the small party made its way to and from the food trough.

There was no such reality as respect in this place, only fear. And while fear could be very powerful, it could also be easily conquered. Lacking a cause to rally them, Teal'c felt that the denizens were using greed - greed and the desire to possess what they did not have.

He knew that O'Neill felt it too. Which was one reason the man was lending his assistance to Daniel Jackson in his task. If they were to make their escape, they needed to do so soon, lest they risk another confrontation with the denizens.

It was a confrontation that, even with the weapons Daniel Jackson brought with him, they would be hard pressed to win.

"Presuming this thing works, any idea where we can go?" O'Neill asked, his voice breaking the quiet of the grotto.

"We gated to P2A509 last time and met up with SG-9, but I'm guessing that's not an option here."

"Why'd you go there?" Lorne asked as Teal'c opened his eyes.

"We needed their GDO to get home."

"GDO's the last thing we need," O'Neill said. Jackson looked at him. "We're not going back to the SGC."

"I wasn't gonna suggest that," Jackson said. "But if the SGC has raided like I think they have, chances are most of the planets I know won't welcome us. Either that or we don't dare go there, not if we want to avoid Bauer's men."

O'Neill looked over at him. "Teal'c? Any ideas?"

"I know of many planets, O'Neill. However, the majority of them are under goa'uld dominion. I do not believe that they will provide an adequate sanctuary."

"How about less long term and more short term," Lorne said. "For the time being, let's just concentrate on getting the hell out of here. We can shop for a new home later."

"Captain Lorne's idea is a most pragmatic one," Teal'c said.

"Cimmeria," Daniel Jackson spoke up. "That should be safe." He looked at them. "Presuming it's the same in your reality as it is in mine."

O'Neill looked at Jackson. "You know the address?" Jackson nodded. "Ok, Cimmeria it is. We'll hole up with Gairwyn for a while, get our feet back under us then decide from there." He looked back at the scattered bits of Tao Root. "Presuming we can get the crap to work."

"It has to be one of these," Jackson said.

"Has to be?"

"Yes, has to be," Jackson insisted. "Look, we were here for hours when she showed Sam and Jack…my Jack, her activators. So it was something she already had. And if she had it in my universe, she probably had, has it in yours. We just need to find it."

O'Neill sighed and got to his feet, stretching. "I need a break. I've been pouring stuff on roots for hours. I'm gonna go take a spin around the tunnels."

"I shall go with you, O'Neill," Teal'c said, getting to his feet. O'Neill looked at him. "Given the current state of unrest, it is best if none of us are alone."

O'Neill shrugged. "Whatever." The two of them left the grotto, easily falling into step with each other.

"You believe his story?" Teal'c asked softly as soon as they were out of earshot of the grotto.

"It seems plausible," O'Neill said with a shrug. "It matches what our Daniel rambled about last year."

"And his supposition that Linea possessed a botanical extract that will alter the structure of the Tao Root?" he pressed.

"His ass is marooned here too. We have about three dozen more bottles to try."

As they walked, Teal'c found his attention torn between the conversation and their surroundings. The tunnels were dim and dank, as often was any subterranean space.   
However, Teal'c's sharp eyes detected movement in the shadows. Usually, the other denizens gave them a wide berth, approaching only if they had something to share or to request. This was not the case now. Those that lurked were not the weak but the strong. He and O'Neill were being challenged in a way, tested to see how much leeway the denizens would be given before they struck back.

As with much in life, existence in Hedantes was a matter of balance. Keeping the population within the limits set by the food supply and the habitable space in the tunnels. Too little food and space led to the prisoners eventually uprising and reducing the population by force, or by slightly less violent means, the strong using their strength to prevent the weak from attaining their share and thus perishing.

A surplus of food, while a less violent atmosphere, was an exceedingly rare one, and a state that had been attained only once in their year internment. The arrival of Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter had altered that balance yet again, and Teal'c knew that it was not only a fear of hunger that stirred the denizens. The possession of Captain Carter was a much sought after commodity, and one that the other denizens resented.

"And if the catalyst is not within that three dozen?" Teal'c asked, glaring at Strycks, one of the more bold denizens. Fortunately, the man lowered his gaze and backed down, however not soon enough for Teal'c's preferences.

"We have a problem, don't we?" O'Neill asked softly, his tone rife with meaning.

"Indeed we do, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed, grateful that his leader was now aware of their situation and was not simply referring to the issue of the catalyst. It was only a matter of time before the denizens rebelled and Teal'c feared that even the fire arms provided by Daniel Jackson would not be enough to quell the violence.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Simian crouched in the crevice, his ears tuned to the soft voices in the cavern beyond. He did not understand all of the Terran's words, many of them alien and strange. Cimmeria, labyrinth, GDO, all were strange terms to him. But he did understand the basics of their conversation. They were planning to escape, which was something O'Neill and his companions had not spoken of in many moons.

The new ones had brought many things with them, chief among which was a sustenance that, although alien to him, intrigued him. They had food, something far better than the rations provided by their jailers. They also had a female. And while she was a luxury that Simian himself did not covet, he knew others that did. Others that would be willing to compensate him quite well if he could deliver the female to them.

Hearing O'Neill and the large one leave their grotto, Simian slunk back into the shadows well aware that while his eyesight was non-functioning, theirs worked quite well. He would lose his meager advantage if they knew that he was listening to them.

He heard them walk slowly down the corridor and he froze, holding himself still until their footsteps faded. When he was sure it was safe, he slipped out of the crevice, silently feeling his way back to his corner. Strycks was going to be most interested in this bit of information. Perhaps interested enough to share his food ration.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Daniel dribbled some of the green liquid onto the Tao Root, staring at it for several seconds before sighing and putting the cap back onto the bottle. He got to his feet and put the bottle back on the shelf, careful to set it beside the other rejects.

"Fifty-three bottles of stuff on the wall," Lorne said, his voice pitched to barely be audible over the sound of the small spring.

Daniel shot him a look, half afraid that he'd heard censure in the man's voice. But he saw nothing more than boredom and curiosity. "I wish I'd paid more attention," Daniel said, choosing three more bottles to try. He wasn't going to be able to keep the experiments up forever, they were nearly out of the Tao Root.

"So, you were really here?" Daniel looked at him. "Imprisoned like us?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. Took us a couple of days to get out."

"Days?"

Daniel shrugged, feeling a bit guilty that he and his team had attained their freedom in just days while Lorne and his team had been stuck here for over a year. "We were lucky."

"What's it like, back home?" Lorne asked after a few seconds, putting down his wood carving to move closer to Daniel.

"Our realities-"

"Are pretty damn close," Lorne interrupted. 

Daniel set down the bottles in his hand and turned to face Lorne. Like Jack and Teal'c, he wore a mish mash of his uniform and what had to be scavenged clothes. He had his boots and pants even though the green material was stained dark brown and black in places. 

Daniel could see the remnants of his black t-shirt under a woven vest and jacket. Lorne's dark hair hung loosely around his face, unbound and slightly greasy looking. 

Due to a lack of sunlight, Lorne's skin was pale, just like the other inhabitants here and that pallor only served to make his hair and beard seem all that much darker.

"Just tell me…who won the World Series?" Lorne insisted.

"The Red Sox, at least in my universe," Daniel said.

"Get outta here," Lorne said. "The Red Sox?" Daniel nodded. "Damn, ok, so maybe our realities are more different than I think."

Daniel heard a soft rustle and looked over, catching sight of Sam stirring on her pallet. She tended to sleep a lot he'd noticed. Not that there was much else to do. In a way, he didn't mind it. She kinda gave him the creeps, how she'd just stand or sit there, watching them all and not saying a word. The more time he spent in her company, the more he realized that Frasier had been wrong. She was aware. She knew where she was and what she was doing. The real question, to him anyway, was what she was going to do.

"So, this was your first mission?" Daniel asked, seeking to learn a bit more about the man. If things played out how he thought they would, the five of them were going to be spending the next several decades together. The sooner he got to know them, the better.

"Yep, first time lucky I guess," Lorne said.

"Hey, my first time through the gate I got married and ended up spending a year on Abydos," Daniel said, trying to cheer him up. Lorne got a strange look on his face and Daniel's forced smile faded. "Did you aah, was there…you know, was there someone?"

Lorne smiled briefly. "Serious? No. But did you happen to see a nurse when you were there? Her name was Wendy. Lieutenant Wendy Bates."

Daniel shook his head. "I was only there for three days, two of them in a locked room with a charming sociopath named Ratner. I didn't get introduced much," he apologized.

"Oh well, just as well," Lorne said with a shrug.

"Was it serious?"

"A couple cups of coffee serious." He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wonder how things got so screwed up?" he asked.

"I dunno. I know Kinsey being President isn't a good thing."

"He won?"

Daniel nodded. "According to Frasier, after that near miss with Apophis, people were afraid. He campaigned on that fear. He uses it to keep the SGC classified, and uses it to justify invading other worlds, stealing technology from people. As far as he's concerned, Earth is the only planet that matters."

Lorne sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair, ruffling it even more. "I wonder what happened to Hammond? He didn't strike me as the quitting type."

"I killed him."

Daniel turned, for a minute not realizing where the soft whisper had come from. "Sam?"   
She was staring at them, her arms wrapped over her stomach. Her eyes darted between them and he could see that she was breathing fast, like she was afraid of their reactions. 

"What do you mean, kill him?" Lorne asked.

Sam slowly shook her head, clearly regretting speaking up. "Sam," Daniel said, walking towards her. "It's ok. We're not mad. We won't hurt you. How did you kill Hammond?"

She looked down at her hands, slowly reaching into her pocket to pull out the healing stone. "I couldn't fix him," she said slowly. "He died because I couldn't fix him."

"What happened?" Lorne asked.

"It's my fault if I can't fix them. I have to fix them. If I don't fix them, they die," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Daniel frowned and looked at Lorne, shrugging at the blank look on the man's face. He had no idea what she was talking about. Following an instinct, he stepped forward and gently took the stone from her hands, tucking it into his pocket. "You don't HAVE to do this anymore," he said. "You don't have to fix a damn thing if you don't want to." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the table. "In fact, how about you giving me a hand with this."

"Yeah," Lorne said, joining them. "Let's surprise the crap out of O'Neill and have this thing all figured out by the time he comes back from his walk."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack carefully tucked the large chunk of Tao Root just behind the Stargate, nudging it with his foot to keep it out of sight. He looked up and saw Teal'c doing the same. Their task complete, they both made their way down off the dais, rejoining with Lorne who was keeping watch.

"We good to go?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Should be. We'll do this after the food comes."

"Use the distraction of the denizens eating to complete our task unmolested."

"Yeah," Jack said, giving Teal'c a look.

"It will take several minutes to manually dial the chaappai."

"Presuming those roots have enough juice in them."

"It will and they will," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Let's try a little positive thinking huh?" He leaned against one of the walls, settling in to watch over the cavern. They had decided, once the roots were in place, to stand guard over them just to make sure that some lucky food scavengers didn't stumble across the roots and decide to steal them.   
"Teal'c's gonna dial. Lorne, you and I will cover the entrances. T, Daniel and Carter are the first ones through. Lorne and I will bring up the six."

"I should go back to the grotto," Lorne said.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Stay close to them. And don't let Daniel pack too much. Strykes' men are watching. The last thing we need is a confrontation."

Lorne nodded and retreated back into the caverns. Jack shifted his position, taking up station just outside of the main chamber but still within view of the gate. "Do you believe that we shall encounter resistance?" Teal'c asked, settling down at Jack's side.

"I'll be surprised if we don't," Jack said. "Strykes is paying too much attention."

"It would be best then if I assisted you in insuring out successful escape."

"And we don't know what we're walking into on Cimmeria," Jack said. "Besides, Junior's only got a few more years."

"And if you and Captain Lorne are marooned here again?"

Jack shrugged. "We'll survive." He sighed. "Look, Teal'c, none of us are gonna get left behind." He looked at Teal'c, meeting his eyes. "But if we have a choice between half of us getting out of here and NONE of us getting out of here, I'm taking the half."

"I understand," Teal'c said

Jack leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. He figured that they had about an hour before the food was delivered and it was an hour that stretched out immeasurably slow. He wanted the time to come, needed, craved the action. But he was also unsure. He felt that a confrontation with the denizens was inevitable, and a year ago he wouldn't have considered the half starved group of miscreants a threat. But a year ago he wasn't a half starved miscreant himself.

"You are pensive," Teal'c said.

"Just doing the math," Jack dismissed. He felt Teal'c look at him. "We should have enough bullets to hold them off, especially since Daniel grabbed that extra clip."

"And then we will have little to defend ourselves with on Cimmeria."

Jack shrugged. "Cimmeria shouldn't be an issue. They might be a little pissed if they know that we dismantled the Hammer. Then again, Gairwyn said that the goa'uld hadn't been there for years."

"It is possible that we will attain our freedom without violence."

Jack shook his head. "I don't think so. Strykes has been spoiling for a fight for weeks. Carter and Daniel just sped things up is all."

"We could offer to liberate others with us," Teal'c suggested.

"No," Jack declared. "Some of these folks don't belong here, I know that. Some are just as innocent as we are. But there's others…hell Strykes has confessed to how many murders?"

"Three I believe."

"Which means he probably killed more than that. I don't agree with what the Taldor did, but we can't go letting murderers running loose. I haven't sunk that low."

"It is most pleasing to see Captain Carter interacting with others," Teal'c said after a few minutes.

"I wouldn't call saying a few words interacting," Jack said. Carter's condition was something else that he bore responsibility for. He never should have left her behind, never should have let them take her off to that hospital.

"I believe that she shall recover, with time," Teal'c proclaimed.

"You just keep up that positive thinking." Jack sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. They snagged in the tangled strands and he cringed. Realistically, his hair wasn't that long, just a couple of inches. But it had literally been decades since he'd had his hair this long. The first thing they were gonna do on Cimmeria was find a pair of scissors. 

He glanced over at Teal'c, the man's bald pate gleaming dimly in the soft light of the cavern. At least he had benefited from some of Jackson's smuggled supplies, putting the knife he'd carried to good use. "Ya know, I was just getting used to the fro," Jack said, envying his friend. Hell, if they couldn't find scissors Jack just might follow Teal'c's fashion statement. Bald was a hell of a lot better than the shaggy mess he was currently cursed with.

The Stargate chevron chunked into place and Jack looked up, his senses automatically alert. "Heads up," he said needlessly. He got to his feet and Teal'c did the same. "Go get the others."

Teal'c nodded and retreated down the tunnel, returning to the grotto. Jack stayed where he was and watched the ritual play out before him. Feeding time was the only time in the prison where the denizens worked together. Both of the troughs were too heavy for any single person to handle, which meant that if they didn't work together, they didn't eat. Or they ate what they scraped out of the dirt.

They waited until the gate opened then settled the troughs into place, retreating to a respectful semi circle. The stream of gruel splashed into the troughs as the rest of his team joined him. Jack waited until the gate shut then stepped forward, taking his role as chief distributor. He took his bowl and dished some out to Teal'c, Daniel, Lorne and Sam before stepping back to allow the rest of the denizens to grab their own.

Jack held up his bowl, pretending to eat while he waited for the last denizen to disappear. "Let's go," he said softly, setting his bowl into an alcove. Teal'c and Lorne jogged to the gate, pulling the Tao Root bundles out from behind the gate. They wrapped the tendrils around the gate while Daniel handed Carter a bottle, the two of them making their way to the Tao Roots. They each drizzled the activator on the roots and Jack watched as the jumbled bundle of roots started to glow, power slowly funneling into the Stargate. "Dial it," he ordered, handing Lorne one of the weapons.

The two of them took up position, their backs to the gate and their attention directed down the corridors. He heard the gate spin and the chevrons lock. Jack counted the chunks, each one a mixed blessing. Each chevron that locked was one closer to them getting out, but each sound also increased the chances of one of the denizens getting curious and coming to check it out.

Jack heard the seventh chevron lock and he tensed, glancing over his shoulder to see the gate splash open. "Go," he ordered. "We don't know how long it'll stay open."

"You will not leave us here!"

Jack turned, recognizing the guttural tones of Strycks voice. The burly man was stalking down the tunnel, a handful of his men following him. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Lorne closing ranks, moving to stand at his side.

"O'Neill?"

"Get them out of here!"

Jack slowly backed towards the gate as more and more denizens spilled into the chamber. "Over their heads," Jack said, squeezing the trigger of his weapon. The sharp report of gunshots echoed off the stone walls and some of the denizens fell back, frightened by the unfamiliar sound. "Let's-"

Jack's words died in his throat, replaced by a harsh cry. His leg crumpled and he looked down, barely registering the shape of some sort of shiv sticking out of his thigh. Strycks stalked forward, emboldened by Jack's fall. "You are mine!"

"See, I'm kinda fond of him," Lorne said, grabbing Jack's arm and pulling him to his feet. He dragged Jack towards the gate, squeezing off a few more rounds that kicked up the dirt at Strycks' feet.

Jack felt the edges of the steps at his heels and tried to step up, grunting with the effort. "Damn," Lorne cursed, his weapon clicking emptily. 

Strycks' eyes grew wide and he dashed forward, intent upon stopping them now that the bullets were gone. Jack raised his weapon, firing two shots. Strycks stopped, a look of shock passing over his broad face. "Karma's a bitch," Jack muttered, taking a moment to enjoy the satisfaction of the man's death before he felt the chill pull of the wormhole. He fell backwards, well aware that he was in for one hell of a rough landing, and not giving a damn. He'd slide naked down a glacier if it meant that he'd never have to see that hell hole again.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam stumbled as she exited the Stargate the bright sunshine temporarily blinding her. She felt Daniel's hand tighten on her arm, pulling her away from the gate. She could only hope that his vision was better than hers, and that there was nothing to trip over.

"Damnit," she heard, just barely audible over a familiar whining sound. Suddenly, Daniel's grip loosened as he shoved her, sending her to her knees. She looked back, blinking to clear her vision. She saw a bright blue beam emanating from the hammer, washing over each of them in turn, settling on Teal'c for a bit longer. "Wait for Jack!" Daniel yelled, tossing his bag towards her. "He'll be here in a second, wait for him!"

The flash brightened and then vanished, taking Daniel and Teal'c with it. A silence settled over the clearing, broken only by the soft gurgling of the Stargate. She felt the dry crackle of grass under her fingers and looked down, clenching her hands. She pulled up a small tuft of it and raised it to her nose, breathing deeply. She'd forgotten what grass smelled like. A soft breeze wafted through the clearing and she looked up, staring at the blue sky and leaf covered trees. 

Outside. She was outside. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been outside.

She heard someone else come through the gate and she looked over, realizing just how vulnerable she was. Much to her relief, she watched Jack and Kevin tumble out, rolling down the steps to land in a heap on the grass. The gate snapped shut and she relaxed, thankful that none of the denizens had made it through with them.

"Will you get your elbow out of my kidneys?" Jack complained.

"Fine, next time I'll just leave your ass behind," Kevin said, untangling his limbs from Jack's.

Sam pushed herself to her feet, wincing when she realized that she'd skinned her knees when Daniel had pushed her. She picked up the bag, holding it close as she made her way over to Jack and Kevin. 

"Son of a bitch!"

"Damn, he got you good."

"No shit, Sherlock!" The two men were lying on the ground, Kevin crouched over Jack who was lying on his back, his hands reaching for his right leg. As she got closer Sam could see something sticking out of his thigh, the material of his pants shiny and stained dark.

"What should I do?" Kevin asked.

"Pull the damn thing out."

"You're not supposed to just pull it out. What if it hit an artery?"

"Then it hit an artery," Jack said, sitting up. "You leave it in there I'll die of infection in a few weeks. Trust me, bleeding out is better."

"Your choice," Kevin said. He grabbed the shiv carefully and looked at Jack. "You want me to yank it out slow or-"

"Ow!"

"Fast." Kevin held up the blood smeared spear, grinning wryly.

"Bastard."

"Tell me you wouldn't have done it the same." Kevin probed the injury. "No gushing. That's a good sign."

"Just wrap it," Jack ordered. "We need to get our asses out of the open."

Kevin looked up at Sam, holding out one blood smeared hand. "Sam, I need the first aid kit."

She obediently opened the bag, her eyes catching sight of the healing stone. Picking it up, she let the bag drop as she slid the stone onto her hand. He was hurt. She had to fix him. That's what she was supposed to do. She had to fix him or he would die.

"Sam?"

She ignored Kevin and knelt beside Jack.

"Carter, what the hell are you doing?" Sam raised her hand, holding it over Jack's leg. "No," he said, wrapping his hand around her wrist. Fixated on her task, she tried to pull away, her strength no match for his. "Carter, NO!" He shook her hand, reaching out to take the healing stone away from her. "Hey?" She looked over at him, the compulsion to use the device overwhelming. "It'll heal on its own. Leave it alone." She shook her head. "Leave it," he repeated.

"I…can't."

"Yes, you can."

"I have to…fix…it."

"Why?" Kevin asked.

"I have to fix it," Sam said, trying to pull her hand out of Jack's grasp.

"Sam?" Kevin grabbed her chin and pulled her gaze away from Jack, forcing her to look at him. "Why do you have to fix it?"

"If I don't, they die," she said. She pulled her head free and looked back at Jack. "You can't die."

"I ain't gonna die from some little stick in the leg," he said. She shook her head. He didn't understand. He had to understand. She had to fix him. He couldn't die. She couldn't let any more die.

"Sam? How do they die?" Kevin asked.

"Lorne?"

"How do they die?" Kevin repeated, ignoring Jack. He took her chin again, turning her head more gently this time. "How, do, they, die?"

"If I can't fix them, they kill them," she whispered.

"Oh my god."

"Carter?" She turned to look at Jack. "Is that what they did to you? To make you use that thing?"

"I fix or they die," she said, the relief at sharing the burden almost overwhelming.

He stared at her for a few seconds before loosening his hold on her wrist. "Not anymore they don't," he said. "Now put that damned thing away and get me the first aid kit."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel groaned as he rolled over, the rough landing on top of his sessions with Ratner leaving his body a mass of bruises. "I must have pissed somebody off in a previous life," he muttered, slowly opening his eyes. 

He heard a sound and turned towards it, relieved to see Teal'c lying on the ground next to him. "I'm guessing we're in the right place," he said, pushing himself to a sitting position.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, also sitting up. "We have been transported to the labyrinth."

"You ok?"

"My symbiote is in great pain, however it will survive." 

"Good." Daniel got to his feet as Teal'c did the same. As if sensing their movement, a light flickered into life and a tall hirsute figure appeared, clad in leggings and armor.

_I am Thor, supreme commander of the Asgard fleet. The high council of Asgard has designated Cimmeria a safe world for developing sentient species, by unanimous decree era 40.73.29. The Goa'uld system lords were so informed. You were warned not to come here, under pain of death. For the crimes against the living host, and all those you have  
murdered and enslaved, the sentence is death. This is your prison. Your technology will not function here. There are no luxuries, no worshippers, no slaves to do your bidding...  
only basic sustenance and time._

_When you tire of this existence, go to the Hall of Mjollnir, and face the Hammer. There is no escape. Only the host can leave this place alive._

  
Daniel turned to Teal'c. "Guess this part still works too."

Teal'c nodded. "We should leave this place. It will take many hours to rejoin O'Neill and the others."

"Yeah. After you." Daniel gestured towards the only exit he could see, a narrow corridor leading out of the chamber. Teal'c started to walk and Daniel followed him for a moment regretting that he'd given their supplies to Sam. Right now they could really use the flashlight that he had in the bag. 

The ceiling was low and irregular, in some areas smooth and finished and in others simple bare rock. The walls were the same way and it made Daniel wonder why it had been built this way. It was almost as though the Asgard couldn't decide if they wanted walls or rocks and compromised, creating a helter skelter format.

Water dripped both from the ceiling and down the walls, creating shallow puddles that they splashed through. The water reminded him of something else he'd forgotten to grab, the canteens. Teal'c's symbiote would protect him if he chose to drink the ground water, but Daniel knew that he wouldn't be so lucky. He remembered the aqueducts that he and Sam walked over to get to the tunnel. He'd just have to wait until then, banking that the fast running water would be a lot safer than the sluggish puddles in the caves.

"So, umm, is this like it was last time?" Daniel asked, feeling the need to talk. In truth, this cave was starting to creep him out and he needed to do something to take his mind off the spookiness of his surroundings.

"It is," Teal'c said, glancing back at Daniel. "However this journey should not be as arduous as the previous one."

"No Unas," Daniel said, remembering Jack's story about their first trip and his own brief glimpse of the monster.

"That is correct. At least, we can hope that the labyrinth is empty."

"Ha, ha," Daniel said, glaring at the Jaffa. "You need to keep working on that humor thing."

Teal'c graced him with the barest grin before turning his attention back to the task at hand. "It took O'Neill and I several hours to navigate the labyrinth last time."

"Yeah, but you know which way to go this time, don't you?"

"Perhaps. We did not take the most direct route."

Daniel fell silent again, content to simply follow Teal'c as he navigated turn after turn in the tunnels. After perhaps half an hour they came upon a shallow pond. The lights from the fixtures shimmered spookily on the walls and ceiling. Daniel felt something crunch under his boots and looked down, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he registered that he'd just stepped on the scattered remnants of a skeleton. "Lovely," he muttered.

"I would not suggest drinking the water," Teal'c warned. "It is likely contaminated."

"Figured that," Daniel replied.

"Do you require a rest?"

Daniel shook his head. "Let's get outside first." In truth, he was worried about Sam. He knew he'd left her their supplies but they didn't know for sure if Jack and Kevin had made it. Worst case scenario, she was out there all alone. "We should have brought Sam with us," he said, voicing his concern.

"I thought that you did not wish to expose her to the rigors of the labyrinth."

"I didn't. But if Jack and Kevin didn't make it, she's out there all by herself."

"I have the utmost confidence in O'Neill and Captain Lorne attaining their freedom." He looked at Daniel. "Their time in Hedantes has given them much motivation."

"I just wish we could have seen them make it is all," Daniel said.

"I understand your concern, yet I believe you underestimate Captain Carter's resilience."

"Teal'c, you've seen her," Daniel protested.

"Indeed I have. And her treatment has left a mark upon both her body and her soul. Yet, if she were not resilient, she would have succumbed to her trials long ago."

Daniel shrugged, not believing Teal'c's assessment but lacking the will to argue. In truth, he wanted to believe that Sam would be ok again. Wanted to hope that, now that she was away from Samuels and Bauer, she could start to recover and heal. He wanted his friend back, a smiling sassy woman with a wicked sense of humor that she hid under her military training.

He ignored the fact that she would never quite be 'his' Sam. His Sam was a world and a reality away and, as much as he didn't want to admit it, probably dead. 

"If you are indeed concerned about Captain Carter, perhaps we should apply ourselves to gaining our egress from this place."

"I get it, stop moping and get off my ass," Daniel said, pushing off the wall he had been leaning against. 

He followed Teal'c for a couple more hours, silently following him as he maneuvered his way from tunnel to tunnel. The sound of the dripping water started to get on his nerves, only serving to remind him that he was thirsty, a thirst that only increased as he walked.  
Just when he was ready to demand a break, Teal'c stopped. "This is the exit."

"Great, so let's go," Daniel said, glancing askance at a jumbled pile of bones. All he could guess was that predators and scavengers had cleaned up the remains of the Unas.

"It has taken us several hours to navigate the labyrinth. Nightfall is likely close at hand. It may be beneficial if we sought shelter here until dawn."

Teal'c's suggestion made sense. They were halfway up a mountain on an alien planet and had to hike an unknown number of miles to try and find Sam and the others. The prudent thing to do would be to wait. Count on Sam to be able to take care of herself for a few more hours. Better yet, trust that Jack and Kevin had made it and were there to take care of her.

"Let's at least go take a look," he said. "See what it's like out there. Get some fresh air, something to drink."

Teal'c nodded and the two of them walked through the Hammer and into the shallow cave that led outside. He stood at the entrance, taking a deep breath and realizing for the first time just how close and stagnant the air in the labyrinth had been.

Teal'c was right, the sun was setting and the air was cooling off. Daniel looked down, his eyes tracing the path down the mountain. It twisted and turned, winding its way down the rocky slope to the valley below.

"It took Sam and I three quarters of a day and half of the next to hike from Kendra's house to here," he said, his mind going back to a simpler time.

"My Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter reported that Kendra took a most circuitous route."

"She did. She also kept waiting for Thor to guide her," Daniel remembered. In hindsight, Sam's frustration had been enjoyable. She didn't often get flustered and short tempered and he'd enjoyed teasing her about it. "We were also hiking uphill," he continued. He glanced over at Teal'c. "But there's still no way we can get all the way down to the valley before sunset." Daniel looked at the sun, hanging a hand's breadth from the horizon. "We're probably pushing our luck finding something to eat, but we can at least get some water and wood and bring it back here. We can be dry and warm even if we're hungry."

"And we shall descend at first light," Teal'c said, agreeing with him.

"Yeah." Daniel clapped Teal'c's shoulder. "I just hope I remember those fire starting lessons from that training class Jack made me take."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Kevin tossed another piece of deadfall onto the fire, taking a second to enjoy the shower of sparks his action caused. He leaned back, resting against a large log and stretched out his legs. On the other side of the fire, O'Neill stirred, restlessly rolling over.

A flash of movement caught his eyes and Kevin looked over, watching as Sam joined him. "You should be asleep," he said softly. 

She shook her head as she sat down and pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She hadn't spoken much since their arrival on the planet, trailing quietly behind him and the colonel as the left they clearing by the gate and trekked deeper into the woods.

Aware of the impending nightfall, they didn't explore far, instead looking for shelter for the night. They found it in a shallow overhang beside a large rock face. It took them less than an hour to gather some firewood and water from a nearby stream. Kevin didn't think it was the most comfortable camp he'd ever set up, but it was a far cry from the close and claustrophobic confines of the prison.

"So," he said, feeling the need to fill the silence. "You were here before?" 

She nodded. "A year ago," she said after a few minutes. Her voice was still faint and halting, almost timid. They'd all agreed that they weren't going to push her, at least not if they had to. Remarkably, that was one of the few decisions they'd made that required no debate.

"So, are they nice. The people that live here?" She nodded again. "Daniel said they were Norse. Vikings?" She nodded. "Horny hat and all?"

She grinned, shaking her head. "No." She stared at the fire for a few seconds. "They did have axes."

"No hammers?" She shook her head. "Ah, well, I look forward to meeting them."

"They're nice." She glanced over at him. "They have a city, twenty clicks to the north. We could go there."

"Gairwyn lives there?" he asked, remembering the name of the person they'd made contact with before. She shook her head. "How about that Kendra person you mentioned?" She pointed towards the mountains off in the distance. Unless his sense of direction was off, it was the same direction of the Labyrinth. "So, she lives between here and the Labyrinth?" Sam nodded. "Then, maybe in the morning we'll head that way. Check in with her and wait for Daniel and Teal'c to come down." She nodded. "You should get some sleep," he said.

He reached out and laid his arm across her shoulders, gently drawing her close. He was afraid that she'd pull away but was pleased when she settled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

Warmed not only by the fire but the warmth of the person next to him, Kevin relaxed, barely realizing that for the first time in a year, he didn't miss his home.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c stepped carefully over the large rock, the short skitter of stones confirming that Daniel Jackson was still behind him. "How much further?" he asked, breathing hard from his exertions.

"Perhaps two more hours," Teal'c said, pausing to survey their location. They had left their refuge at dawn after spending a comfortable, if sparse, night in the cave.

"You don't happen to see a drive thru do you?" Daniel Jackson asked, stopping at Teal'c's side. Fortunately, most of their journey that morning had followed the ancient aqueduct so they had been able to slake their thirsts easily. However, water was no substitute for food.

"Regrettably, I do not," Teal'c said.

"Didn't think so. I'm sorry, Teal'c. I should have grabbed a couple of ration bars. I just wasn't thinking."

"I assure you, we shall not die of starvation in the next few hours," he said. He looked over at Daniel Jackson, noting the fine sheen of sweat on his face. "If you wish, I could attempt to forage for some sustenance. I am familiar with many botanical sources of nutrition."

He paused, as if he was ready to refuse. Teal'c knew that Daniel Jackson harbored very protective feelings about Captain Carter, feelings that Teal'c shared in a way. Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been best to have kept her in their presence.

"I don't want to lose time looking," he finally said. "But maybe there's something close?"  
Teal'c nodded and turned his attention to their immediate surroundings. They were still higher up on the mountain, but low enough that the fauna would be of a greater variety than it was by the cave. He made his way off the trail and into the shadows of the trees with Daniel Jackson following closely behind.

Around him, he could hear the sounds of the fauna of the planet: avians fluttered from branch to branch and rodents scurried in the underbrush. If they'd had weapons and time, he knew that he could obtain a decent enough meal. However, he did not wish to delay them for the hours that it would take to hunt and prepare such a feast. Perhaps tonight or tomorrow, when they were reunited with Captain Carter.

Spying a familiar looking tree, he made his way over to it, relieved to discover that some of its bounty remained. "Matrexa nuts," he said, squatting down to pick up a few of the oblong brown nuts. They were perhaps as thick as his thumb and half as long. "Drey'ac would use these in her baking."

"Really?" Daniel Jackson asked, joining Teal'c in picking up as many of the nuts that they could find. "They have these on Chulak?"

"Indeed. Many plant and animal species are common among the planets."

"That would support the theory that they were all terraformed." Teal'c looked at him, puzzled by the unfamiliar word. "There's a theory we have to explain why so many planets are populated by humans."

"The goa'uld took people from your planet to serve as slaves many millennia ago."  
Daniel Jackson nodded. "There's that. But there's also the theory that other races were involved too. That they took not only people but other life forms from Earth. Plants, animals, etc. They used them to seed other planets, to make them as much like home as possible."

"There are legends of other races, far older and more powerful than the goa'uld," Teal'c conceded.

"The Nox, the Furlings, the Ancients," Daniel Jackson listed off.

"Indeed. There is much knowledge that has been lost to the ages." He held up the nut. "These shells are easily broken with the use of two small stones held in ones' hand," he said, returning their attention to the matter at hand.

Daniel Jackson nodded, accepting the rebuke. Once their pockets were full, they abandoned the Matrexa tree and Teal'c moved on, kneeling beside a large fallen log. He picked up a large bell shaped fungus and held it out to Daniel Jackson. "Lakena," he said. "It is an acquired taste, however it will provide sustenance." Daniel Jackson took it from him and Teal'c gathered the other fungi growing on the log.

"Acquired is right," Daniel Jackson said, grimacing as he took a taste of the Lakena.

"This should sustain us until we can reunite with Captain Carter."

Daniel Jackson agreed and they returned to the trail, resuming their trek down the mountain. Their conversation dwindled for several minutes as they applied themselves to their impromptu meal. Teal'c hid a smile when Daniel Jackson silently handed his share of the Lakena to him, settling for the nuts.

"So, aah, you've been to a lot of planets?" Daniel Jackson asked, picking small pieces of the nut meat out of the shell.

"Many," Teal'c confirmed.

"You think any of them would be a good place to live?"

"Many of the planets I am familiar with are under the dominion of Apophis."

"So they wouldn't be good places to go."

"Daniel Jackson, when I explored planets on behalf of Apophis, I explored them to benefit Apophis. Worlds were judged on the basis of their value to Apophis. If a world had value, it was plundered. If not, it was ignored." He turned to look at Daniel Jackson. "If Apophis ignored a world, he ignored it for a reason."

"That makes sense," he said with a shrug.

"There is also something else you must consider, Daniel Jackson. As First Prime of Apophis, I was known and feared throughout his empire. If I remain in your company, I will endanger you."

He shook his head. "We're not going to just abandon you," he said. "We don't have to go to one of Apophis' planets. I might have an idea where the Tok'ra are, we can go to them for help."

Teal'c stopped, reaching out to grab his arm. "You have knowledge of the Tok'ra?"

He nodded. "We're allies with them, in my reality anyway."

"Why would the Tok'ra ally themselves with the Tau'ri?"

"Because of Sam and Jolinar." Teal'c raised his eyebrows, silently urging him to continue. "Jolinar is the name of the symbiote that possessed Sam. She remembered an address and we went there and made contact. Her father is even living with the Tok'ra. He's one of them."

"The Tok'ra are nothing but a myth," Teal'c protested.

"They're real," he insisted. "And they'll help us."

Teal'c stared, wanting to refute his story, yet unable to. The Tok'ra were a myth, but many myths had a basis in reality. "We shall discuss this further when we are reunited with the others," he declared. 

"Less talk and more walk," Daniel Jackson agreed, tossing away the last handful of shells. Teal'c was pleased to see him slide the two cracking stones into his pocket, before brushing his hands together to rid them of the last remnants of their meal. "Last one down the mountain is a rotten egg," he said, before enthusiastically striding forward.

Teal'c sighed and shook his head. He could only hope that Daniel Jackson did not suffer a misstep in his enthusiasm. The walk would be a most arduous one if he had to carry the human.

Jack limped into the clearing, his fingers wrapped tightly around the branch he was using as a crutch. Ahead of him, Carter paused, looking around.

"How much further?" Lorne asked softly.

Jack shrugged. "Got me." Lorne frowned. "Last time we went straight from the labyrinth to the gate. Carter and Daniel are the only ones that saw Kendra's place."

"I hope she finds it soon." He motioned towards the sky. "Weather's moving in. I'd really like to be under a roof when it hits."

Jack looked up, frowning when he realized that he'd been so focused on keeping up with them that he hadn't even noticed the gathering clouds. "Carter," Jack called out, waiting until she turned to continue. "Unless you have a tent in that bag of yours, we could really use that cabin."

She looked towards the sky and nodded, acknowledging his warning. "Sir?" Lorne questioned.

"I'm not pushing, I'm urging," Jack said, glaring at the man. "Unless you're up for a romantic stroll in the rain." Lorne glared daggers at him and Jack held up his hand, relenting and silently apologizing. "Why don't you go walk by her, see if you can tweak her memory." Lorne nodded, walking forward. "And tell her that I'm too damn old to bivouac in the rain," he called out louder, pitching his voice so that Sam could hear him. 

Once they were ahead of him and talking - or at least it looked like they were talking - Jack let his mask slide, allowing himself to grimace with each lurching step. His leg hurt with every step, the sharp pain feeling like that damn shiv was still stuck in his leg.

He looked ahead, his eyes settling on the large black bag Lorne was carrying for Carter. There were painkillers in that bag. Nice little white pills of relief.

Pills that he couldn't take. No, that was an exaggeration. He COULD take them. He was just trying not to. The medkit that was in there was the standard one given to off-world SG Teams. Which meant that it was designed to deal with minor injuries or to patch someone up until they could get to real medical treatment. It wasn't designed to be the sole source of treatment for an injury. They'd already used up too much of the stuff treating his leg, he wasn't going to deplete their meager medicine supply any more than he had to. 

"Colonel!" Jack looked up. "We found it."

Jack followed Lorne's pointing hand and caught a glimpse of a thatched roof between the trees. Jack caught up with them and could see more from their vantage point. Next to the small thatched house was an out building and a lean to, all nestled in a small clearing.

"It looks deserted," Lorne said. "No smoke."

"Let's go find out," Jack said.

The three of them slowly approached the house, Jack's eyes scanning the clearing for any sign of habitation. There were no animals in the pens, which struck him as odd. Farms always had animals, even if it was just chickens.

"That looks like a horse corral," Lorne said.

"Probably," Jack said. "But I'm not seeing any of those either." As Jack got closer, he could see other signs of abandonment, long grass that would normally be mowed, some broken twigs and limbs that he would expect to be cleaned up. "This place has been abandoned for a while," Jack said as Lorne approached the front door. He knocked and then opened it, sticking his head inside.

"Oh yeah," he said, glancing back at them. "You can smell it."

Lorne pushed the door open and Jack followed him and Sam. He was right, the small house smelled like it was abandoned. They walked into the house and Lorne pushed back some shutters, allowing daylight into the building.

Jack found a chair and gratefully sank down on it, watching as Lorne and Sam explored the place, opening windows and lighting some candles. It was nice as small houses went. One wall was dominated by a large, deep fire place with a heavy wooden mantle and cast iron cooking platform. The wall across from the door had two windows with a set of shelves between them that appeared to hold personal effects and the door they'd just walked through was flanked with a pair of windows as well. The wall across from the fire place was lined with shelves and cabinets that Jack guessed served as a larder.

All the furniture appeared to be handmade and consisted of a table with three chairs, two benches and two rocking chairs, one of which Jack was now sitting in. He could see a wooden ladder leading up to a loft that Jack was pretty sure would contain a bed.

"No running water," Lorne said. "But we do have food, and a roof over our heads."

Jack nodded. "Let's claim squatter rights. Lorne, why don't you go get some wood and I'll get a fire started. We also need some water. Carter, you in the mood to see what we can eat?" She nodded. "Ok, let's settle in for the night, kids. Hopefully, Daniel and Teal'c will show up pretty soon."

Jack watched as Lorne left and Carter climbed the ladder to explore the loft. Finally alone, he sank back in the chair and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he opened them and looked at the ceiling, listening as Carter puttered and explored. Something told him that, presuming there was a bed up there, it sure as hell wasn't going to be big enough for five.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

_Strong hands holding her arms with bruising force. Turning her protests into futile wastes of energy. They dragged her down a sterile grey hall into a sterile grey room, not caring if she could move her feet fast enough to walk on her own._

_They dragged her back against the wall, holding her still as more men entered the room, dragging their own victim between them. They threw him down on the ground, one of the goons delivering a petulant kick to the rotund older man. "What the hell is the meaning of this?" he demanded, struggling to his feet, his movement hampered by the cuffs securing his wrists in front of him._

_"You've been looking for Captain Carter. Here she is," Samuels said, strolling into the room._

_Hammond turned his head, looking at her for the first time. "Captain?" He stepped towards her, his brows knitted with concern. She slunk back, afraid to speak, afraid of what they'd do. Samuels didn't like it when she talked. That was his rule._

_Hammond spun back to face Samuels. "What have you done to her? Why isn't she in the hospital?"_

_"She's receiving the finest care here," Samuels said. "Aren't you Captain Carter?"_

_Sam looked down, unable to meet his eyes. He didn't like that either. Didn't like it when she looked at him._

_"What kind of game are you playing, MAJOR?" Hammond asked, deliberately accentuating the man's rank._

_"You'll find that those stars you're so proud of are rather useless here," Samuels said. In a flash, he pulled his sidearm and fired twice, the loud reports echoing painfully off the cement walls._

_Sam watched in horror as Hammond stumbled, staring dumbly down at the blossoming blood as it painted his once white shirt a shiny red. Gasping in shock, his knees gave away and he fell hard to the floor, groaning softly._

_Samuels stalked past him and grabbed Sam's arm, pulling her from her escorts and pushing her to her knees beside Hammond. "Maybe this will motivate you," he said, tossing the healing stone so that it landed on Hammond's chest._

_Sam slowly reached out and picked it up, her hands shaking so hard that she nearly dropped the stone. She couldn't. She'd never been able to make it work. That was why Samuels hated her so much. She could never do what he wanted her to do._

_Hearing Hammond's gurgly breathing, she looked down at him, his frightened sad gaze making her sick to her stomach. She slowly shook her head, watching as the blood spread, streaming down his side to pool on the floor. "I can't," she whispered, looking up at Samuels._

_"Excuse me?"_

_"I…" She held up the stone, shaking her head. "I…it won't work."_

_"That's because you won't make it work."_

_"No."_

_"Yes!" he insisted. He grabbed her hair and pushed her head down, forcing her to look at Hammond. The man's face was a sickly grey white and his lips were ringed with blue.  
"You did this," Samuels yelled. "You killed him. YOU did this." He pushed her harder, forcing her to lay over the dying man. "His blood is on your hands," he said._

_Staring at the dying man in front of her, Sam was barely aware of Samuels and his men retreating from the room, leaving her alone with the corpse of her godfather._

  
Sam jerked awake, her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced around and remembered where she was. Looking quickly at her companions, she was relieved to find both of them still asleep, Jack sprawled in his rocking chair and Kevin lying across one of the benches. 

All three of them were gathered around the fire, soaking up its warmth, replete after a filling if simple meal of a stew, cobbled together from salted meat and some roots they'd found in Kendra's cellar.

Her nerves still jangled from the nightmare, Sam carefully got to her feet, silently cursing the tangling skirts of the dress she was wearing. She padded over to the door, glancing back at her companions before she opened it, wincing when the lock clicked.

Making sure that Jack and Kevin were still asleep, Sam slipped outside pulling the door shut behind her. Alone in the quiet of the night, she leaned against the walls of the house, wrapping her arms across her middle. A shiver raced up her spine and she felt tears prick at her eyes. She could still see it, still see him lying on the floor, silently begging her to help him, to save him.

The only thing he'd ever asked of her and she couldn't do it. She couldn't help him. She was weak, too weak and he'd died because of her. A branch snapped and her eyes shot open, her heart lurching. She scanned the trees at the edge of the clearing, searching for some movement. She heard another sound and she edged towards the door, retreating back inside as quickly and quietly as she could.

Latching the door she hurried over to Kevin, shaking him awake. "Wha-" He blinked sleepily.

"Someone is out there."

Instantly awake, he rolled off the bench, reaching for the gun lying on the table.   
"Colonel?" Kevin woke Jack. "We got company."

"What?" Jack asked, pushing himself out of the chair. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. Sam just said that someone's out there."

Jack looked at her and Sam was afraid that he'd discount her report. "With any luck, it's Daniel and Teal'c," he said, lurching over to join Kevin at the door. Sam hung back a bit, aware that Kevin was the only one of them that had a weapon. 

"We didn't arrange any sort of code word did we?" Kevin asked.

"Daniel's idea of a code word is Open Sesame," Jack said. Kevin frowned at him. "A trait I'm fairly certain is common across the realities."

"Yeah well, a yard light would do wonders about now," Kevin groused. 

"Wait for them to come close," Jack said.

"And if they don't?"

"They will. We're the only thing around. Even if they don't see the windows, they'll smell the fire."

Sam edged towards the window, careful not to stand in front of it. She looked out into the darkness, straining her eyes to see something. For a minute she doubted what she'd heard. Maybe it'd just been an animal, a deer or something moving in the brush. Two figures melted out of the shadows, walking slowly towards the house. "It's them," Kevin said, shoving the handgun into the back of his borrowed trousers before opening the door.  
"'Bout time you guys got here," he said.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Jack said.

"I notice how you guys met us half way," Daniel said, staggering a bit as he approached the house.

"We had a little trouble on the way out," Kevin said, moving aside to let Teal'c and Daniel into the small house. "The colonel got caught in the leg."

"Are you ok?" Daniel asked.

"I'll live," Jack dismissed. "How about you two?"

"We are well," Teal'c said, sinking down onto one of the benches.

"Long walk, great scenery. Not one I'm willing to repeat though." Daniel sat down too, sighing as he stretched out his legs. Sam busied herself, retrieving the bucket that held their fresh water. She scooped out two servings, using some drinking horns they'd found on the shelves. Daniel and Teal'c nodded their thanks, drinking deeply while Kevin retrieved the pot of stew they'd left by the fire.

He scooped up two bowls full and set them in front of the two travelers, both of whom started to eat greedily. "Nice clothes, by the way," Daniel said after a few minutes and half a bowl of stew.

Jack shrugged. "Better than what we had."

"We found some homemade soap," Kevin said. "There's a stream about a hundred yards to the east. Cold as hell but it's better than being dirty."

"And a razor too, I see," Daniel observed. During their afternoon, both Jack and Kevin had availed themselves of the meager amenities of the house, basic grooming supplies among them. While they'd splashed around in the creek, Sam had taken advantage of having the house to herself, settling for a sponge bath and change of clothes borrowed from those found upstairs.

Unfortunately, Kendra didn't seem to share Gairwyn's preference for trousers so she'd been limited to the woman's dresses which, even though they were not her style, were much better than the dirty and torn sweats she'd worn for the past few days.

"Lorne can take you there in the morning," Jack said.

Daniel nodded, finishing off the bowl of stew. "What do we do now?"

Jack shrugged. "We can probably hang here for a while. At least until Kendra and her family return to evict us."

Daniel looked at Teal'c. "I don't think that will be happening."

"Why?" Lorne asked.

"On our journey here, we discovered a cemetery," Teal'c said. "One of the graves there was marked with the symbols of Kendra's name."

"She's dead?"

Daniel nodded. "Looks that way."

"Damn," Jack cursed. "I wonder how it happened?"

"There could be any number of disease or accidents," Daniel said. "It's amazingly easy to die."

"Well, if we're gonna be here for a while, we're gonna need some supplies," Jack said, looking around. "Livestock, something more substantial to live on than salted meat and carrots."

"The purchase of such items will require something to barter," Teal'c said.

"Sam said that there was a village about twenty clicks away," Kevin said.

Jack looked at her. "Yeah, there is. We never made it there though."

"It'll be our best source for supplies," Daniel said.

Jack nodded. "There's enough here to tide us over for a few days. We'll rest, chill out. It's gonna be a hell of a long walk." He sighed. "Let's settle in for the night. Tomorrow, Daniel, you and Teal'c can get cleaned up. We'll inventory our supplies, take a look at the outbuildings, see what we need to put on the shopping list."

"And see if there's anything in the barn that we can trade," Lorne said.

"Ok," Jack lurched to his feet, hiding a grimace when he put his weight on his leg. "Let's call lights out, kids. We'll deal with the rest of this in the morning."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

"You know, this place is pretty well stocked," Kevin said, looking over his shoulder at Jack. "Plow, hoe, rakes, scythes. All the implements are here for a farm."

Jack nodded. "I'm guessing that flat area down by the creek was the field."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. It's fallow, but it hasn't been for long. Probably less than a year."

"How do you get that?"

Kevin looked at him. "Huh?"

"How do you know it hasn't been fallow for years?"

"No trees," he said simply. "Any open field is prime space for treelings. I didn't look close, but if there are any baby trees there, they're little ones. Definitely not more than a year old."

Jack nodded. "That makes sense."

"You know, sir, presuming that a tractor is out of the question, I think all we'd need is a horse and some seed and we could be in business."

Jack cocked his head and shot Kevin a look. "You're a farmer?"

Kevin chuckled. "Not quite. But my uncle was. I spent a few summers at his farm. I'm no pro, but I bet I remember enough to fake it."

"Ok. So we'll add that to our shopping list. Which is getting pretty damn long. And we seem to be a bit short of cash."

"Well, there are these," Kevin said, gesturing towards a small pile of tanned furs in the corner. "They gotta be worth something."

"Seed and food stuff, sure. A horse?" Jack asked skeptically.

Kevin shrugged. "We don't have to stay here. We could just get some supplies, rest up for a few months, maybe take a couple trips through the gate to find somewhere else."

In truth, Kevin wasn't sure what he wanted to do. In one way, staying here sounded appealing. Living the simple life, little farming, little hunting. On the other hand, he knew it wasn't nearly as idyllic as it sounded. Survival on a planet stuck in the eighteenth century was more than a full time job. And the house, while a decent shelter, was definitely not meant to shelter five adults.

"Yeah," Jack said distractedly, frowning as he limped towards the door.

"Sir?" Kevin asked, puzzled by Jack's behavior.

"Where the hell is she going?"

Kevin moved to look out the door, following Jack's gaze. He saw Sam making her way up the trail that led deeper into the forest. "Call of nature?"

Jack shook his head. "Wrong way. Come on."

He walked out of the barn, following Sam as she made her way deeper and deeper into the forest. Knowing that they'd probably not get an answer from her, Kevin stayed quiet, dividing his attention between Sam and Jack.

He knew that Daniel and Teal'c were down at the creek cleaning up, so he doubted that she was trying to join them. She walked for quite a ways and Kevin could see that the hike was getting harder for Jack with each step. Just as he was ready to suggest that Jack turn back, the trail opened up into a large clearing. Kevin stopped, raising his eyes to look around. He saw antlers strung up in the trees, some wrapped and adorned with strips of leather and fur. Small rings and mounds of stone delineated each grave, marking it clearly. He saw Sam walk slowly through the cemetery, her hands reaching out to trail her fingers over the tombstones. Some of them were plain, consisting of nothing but what Kevin guessed to be the name of the deceased. Others were decorated, with flowers and other items that looked like personal possessions.

He saw Sam stop by one of the graves. She knelt down beside it and reached out her hand, tracing the name carved into the flat stone. Jack limped past him and made his way over to Sam. Sensing that this was something best left between friends, Kevin hung back, keeping his distance.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack knelt beside Sam, grunting when the maneuver pulled on his injury. She ignored him, keeping her gaze riveted on the head stone. "She was a good person," he said.

She kept ignoring him and Jack sighed, closing his eyes for a second. It hadn't escaped his notice that the only person she really talked to was Lorne. Even Daniel and Teal'c were often the recipients of silence and a quickly smothered glare.

"I'm sorry," he said, saying it as much for his benefit as for hers. "I never should have listened to Doc. Never should have let them put you in that place." She still refused to look at him, but he could hear the pace of her breathing change. She might not look at him, but she was hearing him. "I swear to you, if I'd have known, I'd have stormed that place and busted you out myself." She closed her eyes and pulled her arm back towards her, laying her hands in her lap. "I can't change what they did." He reached out and took her hand, wrapping her cold fingers in his. "They will NEVER get their hands on you again. I swear," he said, emphasizing his words with a squeeze. She finally looked over at him, her gaze wary. "I will kill you myself before I let them use you again."

She stared at him for a second and then looked down, nodding slightly. "I'm gonna go back. It'd probably be best if you weren't here alone. Not until we get a better idea of the lay of the land. You care if Lorne stays?"

She shook her head and Jack released her hand, getting to his feet. He limped back towards Lorne, grateful that the man had kept his distance. "I'm gonna go back," Jack said. "Why don't you wait for her?" Kevin raised his eyebrows. "I'm not crazy about anyone being out here alone, especially her."

"Sir?"

"Women's lib is not big on the galactic scale. Used to drive her batty. Anyway, let's not press our luck. Something tells me that this place isn't as abandoned as we think it is."

Kevin nodded, leaning against a tree trunk. "Sir?" he said, straightening back up.  
Jack turned to see Sam walking towards them. He caught sight of something in her hands and squinted, waiting until he was closer to know for sure. She met his gaze defiantly, her fingers curling around the ribbon device in her hands.

"Where the hell did she get that?" Kevin asked.

"It was on Kendra's grave," Jack said, recalling seeing the small tray of possessions when he'd talked to Sam.

She stopped and glared, silently challenging him to try and take it from her. Jack shrugged. "Just don't let the locals see you practicing with that thing. We're trying to make a good impression here." She quirked her head and walked past him, sliding the device onto her hand as she walked. 

"Colonel?" Lorne asked.

Jack shrugged. "We need weapons." Jack walked past him, following Sam back towards the house.

"Yeah, we do. But I was thinking guns. Rifles. Explosives." Jack grinned, listening to Kevin's rant fade as he left the man behind. Were things perfect? No. But they were definitely looking up.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Daniel walked up the path, shivering slightly when they passed through the shadows. Even though he and Teal'c had hiked a bit downstream and found a nice wide, sun dappled stretch of water, it still didn't change the fact that the water was bone chillingly cold.

He heard a rustle in the underbrush and stopped, looking back at Teal'c. "They are large herbivores," the Jaffa rumbled. "Should we be able to fashion a projectile weapon of some sort, we should be able to hunt one quite easily."

"All we need is a good way to preserve the meat," Daniel said. "Something better than salting it."

"Drey'ac was well versed at drying it," Teal'c said. "She possessed a unique form of spices that was quite good."

"Think you can replicate it?"

"It is possible. I rarely participated in food preparation, however I did often obtain the ingredients at the market."

Daniel nodded. "That'll be good. You know, we could also see if we can smoke it. I wonder if Jack knows how to smoke meat?" Daniel stepped out into the clearing, stopping when he caught sight of the house. "Teal'c, didn't you close the door?"

"I did."

Daniel nodded towards the open front door. "You think Jack and Kevin are done in the barn?"

"I think it is most likely that Captain Carter is attempting to further dispel the air of disuse that pervades that dwelling," Teal'c said, giving him a look.

He walked towards the house, leaving Daniel behind. Daniel shook his head and followed, shifting his dirty clothes from one hand to the other. "Teal'c, you think we could go find some more of those nuts?" he called after him. "They might go good with dinner. I'm not sure about that fungus stuff though, although Jack might like it. He's got this thing for weird stuff on his pizza."

A figure appeared in the doorway and Teal'c stopped in his tracks. Daniel joined him, staring at the person. "Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah?"

"It appears that my assessment was incorrect. Captain Carter is not within the dwelling."

"It happens to the best of us," Daniel said, patting Teal'c's shoulder. "Gairwyn!" he called out, raising his hand to wave.

"Doctor Jackson, Teal'c. Hail!" Gairwyn walked towards them, her cape trailing behind her. She was dressed very similar to the last time they'd met. Light colored leggings tucked into high, soft leather boots and a dark tunic, tied at the waist with a thin leather thong. "I was wondering who was seeking refuge here."

"Yeah, sorry about that. We, aah, we needed shelter and…We found the grave," he said, lowering his voice as she got closer.

"Yes," she nodded. "I did not think that you would ever return. We sent the box through the portal many moons ago."

Daniel looked over to Teal'c and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "The aah, the SGC is different now. New leader, new rules." He knew that it sounded lame and weak but he didn't know what else to tell her.

"So you did not come in response to our message?" she asked.

"No, we didn't. Why did you send the box?" he asked. "Did Thor come?"

Gairwyn smiled sadly. "I wish that Thor had returned. Perhaps then my family would still be alive." Daniel frowned. "The Etins have returned."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"What happened?" Jack asked as Daniel finished serving Gairwyn a horn of water.

"Many months ago, here was fire in the heavens. Five or six bursts in the sky in a straight line. But no sound. Then we heard an evil thunder and a great metal point came through the clouds..."

"That sounds like a Hatak ship," Daniel said. 

"A pyramid ship," Teal'c translated.

Gairwyn nodded. "It landed near our village." She looked down. "Most of them are dead, the rest enslaved."

"How did you escape?" Kevin asked.

"Kendra and I were gathering herbs. We eluded them for quite some time, however, not long enough." She sighed. "They captured her family. She, and they, were killed as an example to any who would resist."

"How come we haven't seen any signs of Jaffa?" Jack asked, not doubting the woman's words, but also feeling the need to confirm them. Even though they'd only been on the planet for a few days, he still had yet to see signs of anything goa'uldish.

"And why didn't they destroy the hammer?" Lorne asked. "I would imagine the hike's a bit of a bitch."

"It is said that Heru'ur wishes to keep this planet a secret. He does not wish for Thor to return, so he has not destroyed the hammer. His men do not use the Portal, they use their ships."

Daniel shrugged. "Makes sense. I mean, for all we know, there's some sort of alarm on it or something."

"So, this is another difference?" Kevin asked.

"What?"

"Cimmeria didn't get invaded in your reality?" he clarified.

"Oh." Daniel looked down. "Actually it did." 

Jack raised his eyebrows, surprised at the admission. "It did?"

"Yeah, Heru'ur came, he blasted the Hammer and-"

"Then WHY did you suggest we come here?" Jack demanded, frustrated with the man. 

"I forgot," Daniel said sheepishly. "I just…we came, we got rid of the goa'uld, I thought it'd been the same here," he said with a shrug. "I should have realized that it was SG-1 that got rid of Heru'ur, and since SG-1 hasn't been here since…"

"I do not understand. The Etins are here. They have not been, how do you say it, gotten rid of," Gairwyn said, interrupting his ramble.

"It's complicated," Daniel said. "I'm not the Daniel Jackson that you met a couple of years ago. I'm from an alternate reality, a place that's very much like this one, but obviously not exactly alike. If it was exactly alike, then Thor would have already come and-"

"Daniel!"

"Thor?" Gairwyn looked around the table. "You know how to summon Thor?"

Jack looked at Daniel, biting his tongue to avoid reaming him out in front of everyone. "Daniel," he said carefully. "A moment?" Jack got to his feet and limped to the door, opening it to slip outside. He waited until Daniel joined him, then he closed the door, giving them some privacy. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I know how to summon Thor," Daniel said.

"So?"

"So, we can go, get Thor's help and let the Cimmerians get back to their lives."

"Or we can get to the gate, hopefully avoiding any Jaffa patrols and get the hell out of Dodge before we find ourselves in another prison," Jack said.

"Jack, we haven't seen any signs of Jaffa."

"You mean other than the cemetery full of corpses," Jack said.

"We owe it to them. We broke the Hammer to get Teal'c out."

"We?" Jack asked pointedly.

"Yeah, we," Daniel shot back. "I seem to recall you tossing me the staff weapon to disable the Hammer. Despite the fact that it was the only way we knew of to get a goa'uld out of a host. Something I was kind of interested in," he said, letting his annoyance show.

"Teal'c was there. Shau'ri was and IS somewhere out in the expanses of the universe," Jack said, reliving the old argument. "I was not going to let one man die on the basis of a 'what if'."

"And I agree with you. But that still doesn't change that the goa'uld invading this planet is our fault."

"How is it our fault?" Jack asked. "You heard her, they didn't come through the gate, they landed in ships."

"It still doesn't change the fact that I know a way to call Thor. Last time, he came and he fixed things, this time he'll do the same."

"Presuming this isn't another little difference," Jack snapped. "What if there's no Thor?"

"Then I'll have wasted a couple of hours and we'll just make our way to the gate and find somewhere else to live," Daniel said, squaring his jaw. Technically, this Daniel wasn't 'his' Daniel. But the similarities were unmistakable. "Or we'll just apologize to Gairwyn. I'm sure she'll understand why we won't help. It is every man for himself after all."

Jack glared at Daniel. "Dare I remind you that we're not exactly equipped to take on a group of Jaffa?"

"We've done it before."

"What we had before was a team. Not a green captain, a civilian from another universe, me with a hole in my leg and don't even get me started on Carter."

"All of whom probably just heard everything you said," Daniel said, gesturing at the door. "You don't have to go. None of you have to go. I'll get some directions from Gairwyn and I'll go myself. I know all the answers to the riddles. If I'm not back in twenty-four hours, you can bug out."

"Daniel-"

"I'll go with him." Jack turned to see Lorne standing in the doorway, flanked by Carter, Gairwyn and Teal'c. "I may not have much experience going through the gate, but know how to walk in the woods." His tone was even, but Jack could see the hurt in his eyes and knew that Daniel was right, they'd heard every word.

"Given a year long occupation with limited resistance, it is likely that Heru'ur's Jaffa are complacent. We should be able to infiltrate their compound with little difficulty," Teal'c said.

"Infiltrate their compound?" Jack asked. "When the hell did this happen?"

"They have her son," Sam said softly.

Jack raised his eyebrows, looking at Gairwyn. "My family was in the village when the Etins came. My husband and his brothers died sending the box to your world. Gunnar is the last of my kin."

"The five of us can't liberate a whole city," Jack said.

"It's one kid," Lorne said.

"As soon as I get to the Hall of Mjollnir and summon Thor, we won't have to do any liberating," Daniel said. "The Asgard will do it for us."

"I know the place of which you speak," Gairwyn said.

Daniel nodded. "I know. You showed it to me last time." She frowned at him and Daniel turned to face Jack. "I'm going," he declared.

"Me too," Lorne said, stepping out of the doorway to join Daniel.

"I shall accompany Gairwyn back to the village," Teal'c said. Sam moved to join him, her gaze defiant.

Jack stared at them for a few seconds before closing his eyes and sighing. "When the HELL did this become a committee?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Kevin followed Daniel through the woods, resisting the urge to ask - again - if he actually knew where he was going. They'd been walking for the past day and a half, splitting off from the others early the previous morning.

"Daniel-"

"I know," he said, stopping and turning back to face Kevin. "Look, it was over a year ago and I was following Sam and Gairwyn," he excused.

"I know," Kevin said, aware that his frustration was a bit misplaced. It wasn't like Daniel was deliberately leading him astray. "Let's take five," he said, gesturing towards a fallen log. The pair of sat down, Kevin pulling his canteen from the pack and taking a drink. "Does any of this look familiar?" He asked, handing the canteen to Daniel.

Daniel shook his head, taking the canteen. "Maybe. I think I recognize that tree." He pointed off to the distance.

"The tree?"

"Half of it's dead. That looks familiar."

Kevin nodded. "Does it fit in with Gairwyn's directions?"

"I think so."

Kevin fell silent, taking the canteen back and putting the top back on. He set it at his feet and reached into his pack, pulling out a small bag of jerky. He tore off some of the dried meat and handed it to Daniel who took it gratefully. "All we got to do is get close, right?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, we're looking for a hall. So we just have to find a building and-" Daniel sighed and Kevin stared, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "We ARE looking for a hall, aren't we?"

"Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"It's not really a building. It's more of a…pillar."

"A pillar?"

Daniel nodded. "About six-seven feet tall. Covered with carvings. Big red stone in the middle."

"A stone?" Kevin asked skeptically, regretting not pressing for more details before agreeing to this trek.

"It's kinda like a front door. You touch the stone and it transports you down into the hall. Then you pass some tests and Thor appears and…the rest is history," he finished, pasting a confident grin on his face.

Kevin chewed on the jerky, staring off into the distance. In one way, their mission had sounded a lot easier than the one undertaken by O'Neill and the others, returning to the village to retrieve Gunnar, but in another, he seriously wondered if they were on little more than a wild goose chase.

Searching for some mythical doorway to make an intergalactic phone call to get alien help? It sounded more like a really bad plot of an equally bad Sci-Fi movie.

"What exactly are these tests…" Kevin's voice trailed off as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked around, searching for some sign of danger.

"You know, in hindsight, they're not all that tough but at the time I was really glad that Sam was-"

Listening to his instincts, Kevin reached over and grabbed Daniel, one hand smothering his surprised out cry while the other pushed him to the far side of the log. Kevin used his own body weight to hold Daniel down, the hand over his mouth tightening as the voices grew closer.

Feeling Daniel relax, Kevin looked down and slowly removed his hand as he saw comprehension in Daniel's eyes. They laid there for several minutes, both barely breathing as the voices got closer and closer, then faded.

Hoping that they were far enough away, and intensely curious, Kevin carefully raised his head, peering over the top of the log. He felt Daniel ease himself out from under him and Kevin moved to allow him to sit up. "Were those what I think they were?" Kevin asked, careful to keep his voice low.

Daniel stared at him for a few seconds, frowning furiously. "That's right, first mission," he muttered. "Yeah, those were Jaffa."

"Cheery fellows."

"Oh yeah, they're a real bundle of laughs," Daniel said.

"Ok, so maybe we should lose the chatter and-"

Kevin felt an odd blast of heat blaze by him bare milliseconds before he heard a strange whumping sound. Before he could truly comprehend what had happened, Daniel's fingers dug into his shirt and pulled him forward, barely giving Kevin enough time to snag the pack. They dashed through the woods, zigging and zagging in a pathetic attempt to keep a tree, any tree, between them and the Jaffa. More staff blasts tore past them, scorching the trees that they hit. 

His heart pounding in his chest, Kevin tried to run faster, forcing every ounce of strength he possessed into his legs. His eyes barely had time to focus on the various branches and plants they ran around and through as he heard the sounds of pursuit growing closer. Just as he felt Daniel pull him to the left, his eyes caught sight of something and Kevin grabbed for his hand, pulling Daniel to the right. 

He skidded to a stop, his feet sliding in the muddy dirt and he fell, pulling Daniel down with him. "This it?"

A staff blast sizzled over his head and Kevin ducked, burying his face in the leaves. Daniel didn't answer him but dove for the obelisk, frantically throwing out his hand and slamming it against the red crystal with bruising force.

Just when he was convinced that they'd made a mistake, a brilliant flash of light washed over them and they were plunged into darkness.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack groaned, wincing as he slid off the horse. Gairwyn dismounted behind him, chuckling softly. He looked over and was mildly relieved to see Teal'c and Carter in the same straits.

"Have I ever mentioned that I hate horses," Jack groused, walking slowly in a circle to loosen up his tight muscles.

"Many times, O'Neill," Teal'c said, affecting a tone of long suffering tolerance.

"I am sorry, this is the only form of transportation that we possess," Gairwyn apologized. "A cart or wagon would have taken too long and drawn too much attention."

Jack shook his head, smiling at her. "It's ok," he said, holding up his hand. "It's nothing personal. And you're right, we needed speed." 

"How much further must we travel until we reach the village?" Teal'c asked. 

"We're here," she said. "This is why we traveled at such a pace. I hoped to arrive here by nightfall."

They'd left Kendra's house at first light after a short hike the day before to a farm five miles down the road to borrow some horses. Fortunately, after Kendra and her family had been killed, Bader took in her live stock, including her draft horse. Which was what Sam and Teal'c had ridden, the sturdy animal up to carrying the bulky burden of a Jaffa and a human while Jack had ridden pillion on Gairwyn's horse.

They'd ridden pretty much non-stop, taking only short breaks for lunch and to answer the call of nature.

"How big is the village?" Jack asked.

"See for yourself," she said, pointing towards a large outcropping just beyond the treeline.

Jack nodded and edged towards it, motioning for Gairwyn to keep low. Fortunately, both Sam and Teal'c did the same, both crawling to the edge. Below Jack could see a large group of dwellings, most no larger than Kendra's, especially along the outskirts. In the center he could see several blocks of stone buildings, a few of which stood a full two stories tall. 

There was one wide avenue down the middle of the village and the rest of the roadways looked narrow and twisting, as if they'd originally been nothing more than the space between the homes. A space that grew into roads as the village expanded.

People milled around, mostly women and children from what Jack could see. But he didn't think that there were enough people. Not considering the number of buildings. "The men toil all day in the mines," Gairwyn said. "The healthier women as well. Only those that are old or caring for younglings are exempt."

"And your kid?"

"He stays with my sister. She cares for many children now." Jack frowned. "It used to be that orphans were rare. Now they are all too common," she said sadly.

"And she's not gonna mind us taking only Gunnar?"

"She will not. I only had her care for him while I was gone."

"How shall we attain access to this village?" Teal'c asked.

"You shall not escape notice. The village is too small. I shall go down and retrieve my son."

Jack nodded. He didn't like the idea of putting Gairwyn in danger, but really didn't see another way. She was the only one of them that could make it into the village without being noticed. "OK," he said. "When are you going to go?"

"I shall go now. We will leave the horses where she can find them and borrow two of hers. I will then bring Gunnar here and we can go back to Kendra's to await Thor's arrival."

"We will not be able to travel far in the dark," Teal'c said. 

"We will not need to," Gairwyn said. "Many of the Jaffa are afraid of the woods and do not often venture into them. There is a cave a short distance in that direction, we can shelter there for the night and leave at first light. We will not need to travel as quickly on our return."

Jack nodded, refraining from telling her that he personally felt the more distance between them and the village the better. Then again, they wouldn't be accomplishing much if they tripped and broke something in the dark. He watched as Gairwyn took the reins of the two horses and led them down into the village.

Teal'c settled down by one of the trees, closing his eyes as he settled into kelnoreem. Jack watched until Gairwyn entered the village then he crawled back from the edge, finding his own tree trunk to lean against.

"You are eighteen shades of stupid," he muttered under his breath, stretching out his injured leg. While riding was certainly better than walking, his leg still hurt like hell. Given the nature of the puncture wound, he was pretty sure that it was healing poorly, the skin knitting on top while an infection remained within. As soon as they got back he needed to examine it. Maybe even cut it open and make sure that there were no nasty surprises in there.

A pebble skittered against his foot and Jack looked up to see Carter beckoning him. He pushed his own worries to the side and crawled back to the over hang. "What's up?" he whispered.

She pointed down and Jack squinted, wishing that he had his binoculars. There were Jaffa marching through the village, joined by others that were searching the houses. As Jack watched, the villagers were rounded up and pulled from their homes. Some were released, thrown to their knees in the dirt, but most were not.

They were marched to the edge of the village, manacles and chains quickly quelling any resistance. "Gairwyn," Sam whispered. Jack changed his focus and spotted the woman as she was being chained with the rest.

Once the raid was complete, the Jaffa marched their captives out of the village, directing them towards the hatak ship in the distance, parked over what Jack could only guess was the mines.

"One of these days, something is going to go right," he muttered, sincerely hoping that Daniel and Lorne were having better luck.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel stood in the pitch darkness for a few seconds before the total lack of visual cues led to him losing his balance and he fell to the floor. Fortunately for him, he had a soft landing. Unfortunately for Kevin, he was the source of that soft landing.

"God!" Kevin groaned, pushing Daniel off him.

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, trying to get away from Kevin without doing him further injury. His fingers encountered the canvas bag and he pulled it to his lap, digging inside for a flashlight.

"That's ok. I wasn't planning to have kids anytime soon," Kevin said. Daniel could hear the rustle of the man sitting up as his fingers curled over the flashlight. He pointed it towards the ceiling and snapped it on, still wincing from the bright light. "Tell me this is normal," Kevin requested, making no move to get up.

"This is what happened last time."

"Cool, so now what?"

As he spoke, a red stone on the far wall flared into life and a familiar - to Daniel anyway - hologram illuminated the room. 

_I am Thor. You are brave to come before me. However, only the worthy may witness Thor's might._

"What? Do we need credentials?" Kevin asked. "I hate to break it to you but I left my ID in my other pants."

The room began to shake and Daniel stepped back, memories of a year before washing over him. When he opened his eyes, he could see that most of the floor had fallen away, leaving only a narrow beam in the middle. He looked down and, despite knowing that it was all an illusion, felt his stomach drop.

  
_You have shown true selflessness and bravery. Willingness to sacrifice oneself to save another is honorable trait. I salute you._

Remembering that Thor had some way to monitor them, Daniel made a snap decision. He was not going to tell Kevin that it was all a hologram, that one slip did not mean that they'd fall to their deaths. "It's a test," he said, inserting confidence into his voice.

"A test?"

Daniel nodded. "We need to get to the other side."

"Of course we do," Kevin said sarcastically. 

"Look, it's not as bad as it looks. I'll even go first."

"Be my guest," Kevin said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. 

Daniel took a deep, steadying breath and moved to the edge of the ledge. He focused on the narrow path before him and stepped out onto it, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. It took him only seconds to make it to the other side and he took a moment, enjoying the sense of accomplishment. He hadn't done this last time. Sam was the only one to make it across.

Daniel turned back to Kevin, waving his arm. "It's not that bad," he said, smiling.

"Aahah. Says the person who's done this before."

"It's just like basic training," Daniel encouraged. "Just without a net."

Kevin glared then nodded skeptically and positioned himself in front of the beam. He stepped out onto it and Daniel watched, carefully holding the flashlight to keep it shining on the narrow beam. 

It took Kevin only seconds as well to navigate the beam and soon he stood beside Daniel, his breathing still a bit fast from what Daniel knew to be the adrenaline, not the exertion. "Now what?"

Daniel waited, hoping that in one of them not falling they hadn't messed up the routine. He was rewarded in just a few seconds when the hologram appeared again. 

  
_Now you must add wisdom to courage. Solve the riddle of the runes and I will show you my true might_

A light flashed from the walls again and Daniel hid a grin. This was going to be easier than he thought.

/\/\/\/\/\

"You want to do what!" O'Neill demanded, barely remembering to keep his voice down.

"We shall go liberate Gairwyn," Teal'c said.

"You expect the three of us to take on a platoon of Jaffa?" O'Neill asked. 

"No," Sam said, her quiet voice silencing his protests more than any amount of yelling.

"We shall waylay one of Heru'ur's Jaffa and I shall adopt his armor. I will then escort Captain Carter to the pens holding the prisoners and we shall liberate Gairwyn and return her here," Teal'c elaborated.

"What's Carter got to do with it? Why can't you just go down and get Gairwyn?"

"A Jaffa removing a slave will be questioned. However one delivering a prisoner will not."

"If it's a slave you need, take me," O'Neill said.

Sam shook her head. "No one will notice a woman," she said. She held up her left arm and O'Neill caught a glimpse of the ribbon weapon wrapped around her wrist. "And I will not be unarmed."

"Captain Carter is correct. A female is beneath the notice of most Jaffa. They will not see her as the threat that they will see a healthy male." Teal'c looked at him. "They are also likely to question how a worker has escaped their notice."

"What about the kid?"

"We shall retrieve the child and the horses. That task will be easier with the Jaffa distracted by the escape of their newly gathered slaves."

"And do I get to do anything in this grand plan of yours?" O'Neill asked.

Teal'c looked to Sam, then back to O'Neill. "We shall depend upon you to provide covering fire should we run into an issue. And if we do not return, then we ask that you find and liberate Gairwyn's son and return with her to Kendra's domicile."

O'Neill sighed and plopped down on a nearby rock, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're gonna do it whether I want you to or not," he said.

Captain Carter looked at him and Teal'c quirked his head, unable to deny the man's words. "We shall make every effort to return by dawn." He walked past O'Neill and saw Captain Carter fall into step behind him. The two of them slowly made their way down the out cropping and towards the slave pens.

Teal'c led her for several minutes, moving further and further into the trees. Once they were a decent distance from the village he motioned for her to seek shelter off the trail. "I shall go on alone." She frowned at him. "It is best if I obtain the armor on my own. I shall return momentarily."

She nodded and Teal'c slipped away, getting closer to the slave pens. He was hoping to find a Jaffa alone, perhaps lulled into a false sense of security by the longevity of their occupation.

It took him only moments to find his prey, a young Jaffa apparently seeking the cover of the woods to relieve himself. He was quickly dispatched and stripped, his body hidden beneath a few boughs of a small tree.

Teal'c returned to where he'd left Captain Carter, belatedly remembering that he had not established a code word with the woman, something to identify himself as friend, not enemy. "Captain Carter?" he called out softly, tensing when a nearby bush rustled.

A familiar pale face appeared and Teal'c relaxed, grateful that she had not come to harm. "The slaves are lightly guarded," he said. "They do not expect a rebellion." She nodded and Teal'c saw uncertainly in her eyes. "I believe that I can complete our plan without your assistance," he offered.

"No," she said softly. "I can do this."

Teal'c nodded. "The best way to explain your late arrival is perhaps the least pleasant. You ran from the culling and I pursued you. To make this subterfuge believable, I will be forced to treat you roughly," he warned.

"I know."

"Very well." He reached down and dug his fingers into the dirt, bringing up a handful. He smeared it on her skirt and arm. She pushed him away and bent down herself, picking up some dirt to smear across her face and into her hair.

After a few seconds she looked up, silently requesting his endorsement. He nodded and grabbed her right arm. "You must keep your other arm hidden," he warned. "You must also maintain your distance from the Jaffa lest they sense the remnants of Jolinar within you." She nodded and Teal'c turned on his heel, dragging her unmercifully through the underbrush.

He did not enjoy abusing his friend in such a manner, however he knew that the success of their mission depended upon no one questioning them. As they got within sight of the pens, Teal'c activated his helmet, shielding his face from view.

Only two sentries were stationed and neither paid them much attention as he dragged Captain Carter to the pen. She struggled convincingly, once even losing her footing and falling to her knees. He ignored her cries and threw her to the ground, delivering a carefully pulled kick that was little more than a tap on her side.

He manipulated the catch on the gate and grabbed the heck of the cape she was wearing, pulling her to her feet and tossing her into the pen. "No one runs from service to their lord," he intoned, pitching his voice so that the two sentries could hear.

Affecting a façade of annoyance, he stalked back towards the encampment, hoping that no one would question his presence. Once he was out of sight of the sentries, he slipped into the trees, lowering the helmet to give himself better vision and hearing. 

He silently made his way back to the slave pens, maneuvering himself until he was directly behind the Jaffa that was closest to the pen. Fortunately, neither of them seemed interested in the slaves and Teal'c waited, ready to respond to Captain Carter's sign.

He noticed her moving, making her way over to Gairwyn. She made contact and drew the woman close. They edged towards the gate and Teal'c saw Captain Carter raise her left hand, hesitating only a second before a burst of orange shot from her palm, splintering the gate.

The noise awoke the slaves and they got to their feet, standing as they looked at each other. "Free yourselves!" Gairwyn yelled, waving her arms at her kin. They surged forward and Teal'c stepped from the trees, dispatching the sentry with one shot.

He picked up the man's staff weapon and fired across the clearing, hitting the other sentry in the chest. Hearing the faint cries of alarm from the encampment, Teal'c hurried forward, directing the escapees with simple fear. They ran from him and he shepherded them away from the encampment and towards the village.

As he ran, he tore off pieces of his armor, not only to increase his speed but - hopefully - to prevent one of the villagers from mistaking him for a foe.

They ran into the village and Teal'c veered off, hiding in a small copse of trees. Once there, he hurriedly removed the last of the armor before making his way into the village. If the fates were kind, Captain Carter and Gairwyn would be waiting with horses and child in tow.

The village was oddly quiet and Teal'c altered his pace, slowing to a cautious walk. Perhaps the villagers had abandoned their homes and sought shelter in the woods? It would be a wise thing for them to do since it was inevitable that Heru'ur's Jaffa would seek vengeance upon them.

  
He stepped around the corner of a dwelling and stopped, staring at the horrific sight before him. The villagers were gathered in a small group, a score of armed Jaffa surrounding them, their staff weapons lowered and primed. In the middle of the Jaffa stood one in golden armor, Captain Carter held in his grasp.

"Who is this that dares to challenge me!" Heru'ur demanded, his fingers digging into Captain Carter's hair. If she answered, Teal'c could not hear it over the smothered cries and mutterings of the captives. Heru'ur threw her roughly to the ground and stepped back, his Jaffa closing ranks. "Kill them all!"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel dragged his finger through the sand, smiling when it suddenly stopped defying gravity and spilled out of the wall, pooling at his feet.

"Cool," Kevin said. "Now what?" Daniel turned, expecting to see Thor appear at any moment. Seconds passed, and then minutes. "I'm guessing this didn't happen last time."

"No. Last time Thor-"

There was a flash of light and a diminutive alien appeared in the corner of the room. "I am the one whom you know as Thor," he said. "I am the supreme commander of the Asgard fleet. In the ten-span since I created this world, you are the first to reach this level of contact. You have finally grown wise enough to see me in my true form."

"Yeah. Umm, hi, Thor. We've never met here, but my name is Daniel Jackson, and this is Kevin Lorne. We're both from Earth and we need your help."

"You are not from Cimmeria?"

"No," Daniel said. "We're from Earth and we sought refuge on this planet, but the goa'uld are here and they're hurting your people."

"Impossible. Cimmeria is a safe world."

"Yeah, umm, that kinda got messed up," Daniel said. "About a year ago we were here…well not quite 'we' but that's another story. Anyway, there was a Jaffa with the group and he was sent to the Hammer and to get him out it was disabled. Which is how come the goa'uld are here now, although they seem to be using ships more than the gate-"

"The Jaffa serve the goa'uld, they deserve their fate."

"Not this Jaffa. He's denounced his god and he helps the humans in their fight for freedom."

"You are of the Tau'ri?"

"Yeah, we are," Daniel answered.

"The Tau'ri once held promise, but now are little better than the goa'uld they once fought," Thor said, his voice rife with condemnation.

"Not all the Tau'ri," Daniel said. "A few very powerful ones, yes. But not all of them."

"They held him captive," Kevin said, finally finding his voice. "Beat the crap out of him. They abandoned us and left us to rot in some place called Hedantes." He stepped forward, moving in front of Daniel. "When we left, the SGC was run by an honorable man named George Hammond. We explored with respect and curiosity. We screwed up, sure, but we didn't mean to. But now apparently the place is run by a bunch of thieves and cowards but there's nothing we can really do about it. We can't go home."

Thor frowned, or at least Daniel thought it was a frown. It was kind of hard to tell. "Look, please, don't let the mistakes the people on our planet have made condemn the people of this planet. Help them, make the goa'uld go away and I promise you we'll leave. We'll go away and never come back."

There was another flash of light and Daniel stumbled, surprised not to find himself back in the forest. "Where are we?" Kevin asked.

"I'm guessing an Asgard ship," Daniel said.

"Is this a good thing?"

Daniel shrugged. "He could have dumped us back in the middle of that Jaffa patrol."

"So, now what do we do?"

Daniel shook his head. "I guess we wait." He looked at Kevin and saw the unease on the man's face. "The Asgard aren't bad aliens," he reassured. "They won't kill us or anything."

"The Asgard in YOUR universe aren't bad," Kevin said. "He sounded a little pissed to me."

"They're not vengeful," Daniel said. There was a slight jolt and another flash and Daniel found himself on what could only be the bridge of the ship. Thor stood behind a console, his spindly arms manipulating tear drop shaped stones across the smooth surface.

"There is indeed a goa'uld presence on Cimmeria," Thor said. "It is easily eradicated."

The view screen flickered to life and Daniel watched in amazement as beam after beam washed over the land, leaving no Jaffa behind. "That's incredible," Kevin said, moving up to stand beside Daniel.

The view changed from the countryside to a village and Daniel stared in horror as he watched a Jaffa throw Sam to the ground. He saw the other Jaffa raise their staff weapons, clearly intending to open fire. "Help them, please." Thor moved the stones and the beam swept over the village, taking the Jaffa with it. "Not that one!" he said, moving forward to point out Teal'c who had just stepped around the corner of a building.   
Daniel turned back to look at Thor. "That's our friend. He won't hurt anyone, I promise."

Thor glared slightly but spared Teal'c, instead taking every other Jaffa from the village. Daniel watched him finish scanning the planet, the bright white beams finally fading. "You will identify your companions," Thor instructed.

"What are you going to do?" Kevin asked.

"You already know Teal'c," Daniel said, following his instincts. If Thor wanted them dead, they would be already. "Sam's there, the light haired woman." Daniel saw Sam get to her feet, Gairwyn helping her. "I don't know where Jack…there he is." Daniel watched his friend make his way down the incline, his weapon in his hand.

"Whoa! What the-" Jack exclaimed, staggering as he sought his balance.

"Hi," Daniel said, waving slightly.

"Hi," Jack answered. "Lemme guess, it worked."

"Jack, meet Thor, Thor, this is Jack O'Neill. Captain Carter and Teal'c," Daniel introduced.

Thor nodded a greeting and maneuvered the stones again, this time producing a beam that flowed over each of them in turn. "Hey!" Jack protested. "What the hell was that?"

"I merely wished to ascertain that the information relayed to me is factual," he said.

Jack turned to look at him. "Daniel?"

"Apparently, Earth has developed quite a reputation. And it's not a good one."

"Ah," Jack said. He turned to face Thor. "Look, I don't know what's going on back home. We haven't been there in over a year."

"And you are in the company of a Jaffa and a curiously unblended human." Thor directed his attention towards Sam. 

"It wasn't a goa'uld," Daniel said. "The symbiote that took Sam was a Tok'ra. It died saving her life."

"Look, we're just trying to survive here," Jack said. "The only reason we came to Cimmeria is because Daniel knew that it was a safe place. I'm sorry things got messed up here. It wasn't something we meant to do. If you can just let us get to the gate, we'll go. And we won't come back."

"And the people of your planet? You will allow them to continue to steal and destroy?" Thor asked pointedly.

"They took her," Jack said, pointing at Sam. "They held her captive and forced her to use her abilities with that healing thing to cover up the fact that they're getting their own people killed. They beat the crap out of him when he wouldn't tell them what they wanted to know." He pointed at Daniel. "And they left us to rot. Whatever the hell is wrong with my planet, it's big. It's more than the five of us can fix."

"So you will allow the people of your planet to continue to steal from other races?"

"It's not everyone on our planet," Daniel said. "Most of them don't even know that the Stargate exists. It's just a handful of people that are abusing the Stargate for their own gain."

"This is very unfortunate. We had high hopes for the people of your world," Thor said. 

"You still could," Daniel said impulsively. "Help us fix things."

"Daniel?" Jack said. "What are you doing?"

"Jack, don't you see? Thor can help us."

"Help us do what? We don't know how far it goes."

"We can find that out." Daniel moved towards Thor, his enthusiasm growing with each step. "We have lie detectors. You have to have them. I know of at least two people in the   
SGC that aren't in on the conspiracy, and there have to be more. We can blow the lid off this whole mess."

"And what do you intend to do with the guilty parties?" Teal'c asked.

"Sending them to Hedantes is probably out of the question," Daniel said, having no answer to the question.

"We lock their asses up," Kevin said.

"You are willing to do this?" Thor asked.

Jack stepped forward. "We obviously have no idea what's happened in the past year." He looked around, his eyes passing over each of them. "And I think we'd all like to go home. But if we walk though the gate right now, we'll be dead within a day."

"If you take us to Earth, can you beam out just one person?" Daniel asked.

"What are you thinking of?" Kevin asked.

"Doctor Frasier and Sergeant Siler helped me escape. If we can beam them up here, they can tell us who some of the compromised people are. And who to trust and…we can just start getting names."

"Bauer and Samuels," Sam said, speaking up for the first time. "Ratner, Kelso, Martinez and Wood."

Daniel reached over and squeezed her hand, all too aware of just how she knew who the 'problem children' were.

"Unfortunately my transporter beams are unable to identify one human from another," Thor said.

"Can you deliver us in secret into the facility?" Teal'c asked.

"What's your plan?" Jack asked.

"We are aware of the identities of these individuals. If Thor can provide us with communication devices we can gain custody of these people and notify Thor when he should activate his transporter."

"We could beam right into Bauer's office and grab him," Kevin said. "Same with Samuels."

"Aah, let's just slow down here," Jack said, raising his hand. He turned to look at Thor. "I appreciate everything you've done for us but before we start planning a coup here, I think we need to think about it."

"O'Neill is correct," Teal'c said.

"I shall make quarters available for you on the Beliskner," Thor said. "It will take me several hours to repair the Hammer. Is there anything on Cimmeria that you wish to retrieve?"

Daniel looked around and nodded. "Yeah. We had a bag. It had something in it that we really can't leave down there. It's nothing dangerous," he hurried to reassure after he saw Thor's eyes narrow. "Just something that we need."

Thor nodded. "We shall retrieve the item and depart in a few hours. It will take two days to travel to Earth. I will need your decision before that time."

  
/\/\/\/\/\  


Jack strolled into the room, his hair still wet from the shower. He had to hand it to the little grey guys, what they lacked in stature and clothing, they made up for in hospitality. He and his people had been given comfortable - if Spartan rooms - consisting of a bed, of a sort, and bathroom facilities.

The food, after a few misunderstandings, was plentiful and edible and Jack gave more than a passing thought to seeing if they could hang out a bit longer, rest and recuperate.  
"Jack, we need to talk," Daniel said, barely waiting until he was in the room.

He was seated on a sort of sofa positioned in the middle of the common room they all shared. Their quarters were situated around this common room with a sixth door, Jack guessed, leading out into the corridor.

Jack sighed and sat down, accepting that he couldn't keep avoiding the discussion. Thor's time limit was almost up and Jack knew that the little guy would be demanding an answer pretty soon.

"Well?" he asked, shrugging. "Let's talk."

"Umm, ok." Daniel looked around at the group.

"I think it's less a discussion of what needs to be done once we get there, but whether or not we even try," Jack said, kick starting the conversation.

"We have to try." Daniel insisted.

"Do we?" Jack countered. "Daniel, do you have any idea how long this will take? How deep the conspiracy might go? You said that Kinsey is President and he's pulling the strings. Which means we're not just looking at cleaning out the SGC, it's Washington and the Pentagon too. We're gonna be taking on some very powerful people, ones that obviously don't have much of a compunction about killing the inconvenient."

"Jack, do you have any idea what's at stake here?" Daniel asked.

"The reputation of a planet that left us for dead?"

"We're not just a planet," Daniel said. "In my universe, we visited a planet, P3R272. When we were there, you walked through this beam of light and activated this thing and ended up getting a whole database downloaded into your brain."

"Downloaded?" Jack asked, considering for a second that Thor had been holding out on him and that Daniel had gotten his hands on something about 100 proof.

"It was the term that Sam came up with. Or maybe it was Janet. Anyway, you got this huge info dump but your brain couldn't handle it and you started to have issues," Daniel continued.

Jack looked around the room. "I don't have issues."

Daniel simply grimaced. "You built a device, it allowed us to use the Stargate to dial a planet, not in this galaxy, and you made contact with the Asgard and they fixed you."

"Well, that was nice of them."

"Yes, wasn't it?" Daniel asked rhetorically. "While you were there, they told you something about us being the Fifth Race and that we had potential."

"Potential for what?" Kevin asked.

"They never really went into detail," Daniel said quickly. "My point is, at least according to the Asgard, the human race is special and if we don't do anything to stop Kinsey and his cronies they're going to doom our whole planet."

"Doom is a bit strong," Jack said.

"I do not believe so, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "I have spoken to Daniel Jackson about the differences between our universes. The most pointed of which is that his Earth has several allies, among them the Tok'ra and the Asgard."

"None of which we can count on happening here," Jack said.

"They're killing people," Sam said. Jack looked at her, the pain in her eyes stilling his protest. "They enslave other planets, forcing them to work in mines or to gather things."   
She looked at Jack. "They're no better than the goa'uld."

"How?" Jack asked, drawing the conversation back to the root issue. "It's gonna take more than the five of us. Who the hell do we trust?"

"Whoever Kinsey has locked up," Kevin said.

"It's only been a year," Daniel said. "Kinsey can't have replaced everyone. The public will only tolerate so much. If we can get to the SGC, find Doctor Frasier and Sergeant Siler. They can help identify some of the bad guys. If we can use Thor's transporter beam, we can get Bauer and Samuels out of there. Lock them up somewhere until we find out who we can trust."

Jack looked at his team, searching for some sort of dissension or disagreement. Not surprisingly, he saw none. Only a grim determination and acceptance that they were at a crossroads and ready to undertake a mission from which there would be no turning back.  
  
"I never thought I'd be planning a mutiny," he muttered, leaning forward and pushing his fingers through his hair. "We need to talk this over with Thor," he said. "See how far he's willing to go to help us." He looked each of them in the eye. "If all he's gonna do is beam us down and cut us loose, we're not doing it." Slowly, they all nodded, agreeing with his ultimatum. 

Now all they had to do was figure out how to infiltrate the SGC and save the planet…without getting killed in the process.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Kevin blinked, the flash of the Asgard transporter catching him off guard even though he knew what to expect. Aiming quickly, he fired his tranquilizer gun, shooting both of the guards working in the security room. "Lock the door," he said to Daniel as he pulled the unconscious man out of the chair and laid him on the floor.

Kevin heard the lock catch as he sat down at the console, scanning the readings.

"How long until shift change?" Daniel asked.

Kevin looked at the clock in the corner of the computer. "Half an hour," he said. "You know, I have no idea what the codes are. I couldn't begin to do much, not without risking messing things up."

"We don't have to," Daniel said. He finished tying up the two men and joined Kevin at the consoles, claiming his own seat. "All we need to do is keep track of who's where and let Jack know."

Kevin nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out the communication device given to him by Thor. It was part of the limited assistance they were getting from the alien. Thor was beaming them in, providing them with communicators and he'd beamed up tranquilizer guns for their use. Anything beyond that, the humans were on their own. "Colonel, security room is secure," he said.

"Understood, beaming in now." 

Kevin typed some commands and brought up the control room camera just as the colonel, Sam and Teal'c appeared in the control room. They efficiently disposed of the personnel there, tying them up in the corner of the room. "It's showtime," Daniel said.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam stood in the control room, watching as Jack and Teal'c secured the personnel they'd just shot. "Carter. Get on those codes," Jack ordered.

She nodded and sat down at the console, staring at the keyboard for a few seconds. She knew what she had to do, she just wasn't sure if she could do it. What if they'd changed things? Erased things? Altered the codes.

"Hey?" Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "You can do this. Just take your time and get us a list of anyone that Bauer or Samuels have locked up. Or anyone they've vouched for to be transferred here. Give us somewhere to start."

She nodded and took a deep breath, sliding the ribbon weapon off her hand and laying it in her lap. She started to type, the codes and passwords coming back to her as she worked. They'd changed some of them, which was what she'd expected. But not all. She found her way through database after database, concentrating mainly on the people that had been transferred to the base in the past year. "Jack?" she heard Daniel's voice come over the communicator. "Bauer's evidentially an early riser. He's on his way down from the surface."

Sam looked over her shoulder, staring at Jack and Teal'c. They weren't supposed to be here, not yet. Jack glanced at Teal'c and shrugged. "Let him down. We'll be waiting."

He looked over to Sam and smiled at her. "Don't worry about him. Keep up what you're doing." She nodded and turned back, applying herself to her task.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"This should be interesting," Daniel said, glancing over at Kevin.

Kevin shrugged. "Had to happen eventually. It'll be easier if they come to us."

Daniel nodded, well aware that, at this stage at least, their little coup needed to stay confined to the SGC. Right now it'd be far too easy for Kinsey to spin it as them assisting in an alien invasion. "What else do you see?" Daniel asked.

Kevin typed a few commands and different pictures flashed up on the monitor as he switched from camera to camera. Daniel watched image after image, all a snapshot of the base in the early hours of the morning. There wasn't much activity, which seemed a bit odd to Daniel. Sure, Earth time dictated that it was pre-dawn, but time literally was relative and dawn here could be sunset somewhere else. A familiar face caught his eyes and Daniel leaned forward. "Go back," he ordered.

Kevin pushed a couple of buttons and pulled up the camera he'd just passed over. "What do you see?"

"An ally." Daniel pointed at the screen. "Doctor Frasier. She's on our side."

"We'll remember that."

Daniel shook his head. "We need to talk to her. Find out who's on Samuels' side."

Daniel got up from the console and walked over to one of the unconscious men. "What are you going to do?" Kevin asked, getting out of the chair.

"I'm gonna go get her."

"You can't just walk out there."

"You've seen the cameras. No one's here."

"And the day shift starts in less than half an hour," Kevin argued as Daniel unbuttoned the man's shirt.

"Which means the longer you argue with me the later I'll be," Daniel said, unwilling to change his mind. "You gonna help me?"

Kevin sighed and joined Daniel in stripping the man's uniform off. "So were you this big a pain in the ass in your universe?"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack crouched under the briefing room table, shifting his weight from one knee to the other, grateful that Thor had healed the wound in his thigh. At least he didn't have to worry about it hindering him in some way.

Footsteps echoed down the hall and Jack glanced over at Teal'c, grateful that the man hadn't chosen to check on the control room first. Jack heard the general unlock the door and he signaled Teal'c. They silently slid out from under the table and split up, each taking a different door. "Morning, General," Jack said cheerfully, aiming the tranquilizer gun directly at the man's chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Bauer demanded, his hand reaching for the red phone.

"Ah, ah, ah."

"That would not be wise," Teal'c said.

Bauer looked at him and frowned. "What's going on?"

"Think HMS Bounty," Jack said. "Step away from the desk."

"Shall I restrain him, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

Jack saw comprehension flash across Bauer's face. "O'Neill? You're Teal'c?" he asked.

"And you're an asshole. Tie him up," Jack said.

"You're dead," Bauer said, not resisting as Teal'c moved to his side and turned him around. "You were lost on that planet and-"

"And we've spent the past YEAR in a fucking hole in the ground because you left us behind!" Jack said, stepping forward and yelling in the man's face. Much to his pleasure, Bauer blanched, his eyes skittering away from Jack's. "Let's get him downstairs where we can keep an eye on him," Jack said.

Jack turned on his heel, stopping dead in his tracks when the sharp report of a gunshot tore through the air.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam typed on the keyboard, a smile creeping across her face as she hacked into database after database. She knew it wasn't all the names. It couldn't be all of them. But it was a good start.

They just might be able to do this. For the first time since Daniel and Jack had come up with the idea to clear Earth's name, she actually thought that they might do it. All they had to do was to get this information to a non-compromised person and they'd have to do something. Have to investigate, have to dig deeper. 

This couldn't be covered up forever.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Sam's fingers stilled and her stomach twisted as the cool voice cut into her thoughts. "Get away from the console," he ordered.

She obediently dropped her hands into her lap, her fingers encountering the smooth, cool surface of the ribbon weapon lying on her legs.

"I figured you would return eventually." Samuels continued, his voice growing closer.

_'His death is your fault!'_

"Are you as eager to continue our little sessions as I am?" He stepped closer and Sam could feel the heat of his body on the back of her neck. "It's really too bad you didn't come a day sooner though. Siler really could have used your services. In fact, there are several men who are dead now because you had to go and run away. Desert your post, neglect your duty."

His hand settled on Sam's shoulder and she gasped, a year of fear washing over her.

_Heavy hands dragging her from place to place._

_A cold, sterile room without even a blanket to shield her from the cold._

_Desperate eyes, begging for mercy, watering from pain. Cold fingers digging into her arm, pleading with her to save them. The blood on her skin, blood on her hands. The blood of every failure, every person she let die._

_Every person he killed. Every person he would keep killing as long as she let him._

Fear turning into anger she spun in the chair, raising her left hand as she faced him. Without saying a word she poured her grief and rage into the device and threw Samuels across the room, unable to suppress the smile that curled her lips at the sight of hem crashing into a bank of computers, his grunt of pain barely audible over the shower of sparks.

She barely registered the sharp bang of the gun before a heavy force slammed into her back and she knew no more.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Janet pulled the files from the cabinet and shoved them into her bag, sniffing slightly when the tears threatened yet again. 

"Damnit," she muttered, hearing the printer signal that it was out of paper. She opened a new ream and filled the drawer, silently urging the machine to move faster. She was running out of time. She needed to get out of here. She had to be setting off alarm after alarm with the files she was accessing and knew that, once Samuels got in and checked the security logs, he'd come and get her.

She had to get this information out of here, find someone who would look at it. Better yet, someone who wouldn't be afraid to talk about it. Talk far and wide and as loud as they could. Maybe if she got enough people talking then Kinsey wouldn't be able to shut them up and make them go away.

She glanced at her watch and realized that she couldn't wait any longer. She pulled the last of the papers off the printer and crammed them into the case, not caring if they got wrinkled or bent.

She hurried out of her office and ran straight into a figure dressed in green. Afraid that she'd been discovered, she pushed him away and turned on her heels. Maybe if she made it to the other entrance she could…Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she cried out, struggling to free herself. No. No. She couldn't let them get her. Couldn't let them-  
"Doctor Frasier! Doctor Frasier. It's ok. It's me, Daniel Jackson!"

The familiar voice finally penetrated her terror and Janet relaxed, craning her neck to get a look. "Jackson?"

"Yeah, it's me, I'm back. Don't hurt me, ok?" She nodded and he let her go. She turned around, frowning when she realized that he was wearing a uniform that clearly wasn't his. "What's going on?" he asked. "Why are you so scared?"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were-"

"Yeah, we were," he interrupted. "And it's a very long story. But right now, we need to get you somewhere safe."

She snorted, his words striking her as funny. "Somewhere safe. Happen to have plane tickets to Mexico on you?"

His eyes drifted down and he frowned. "Where are you going with those?" he asked.

"I've got to get out of here. And you shouldn't have come back."

"What happened?" he asked sincerely.

Suddenly too tired to speak, she dug in her satchel and pulled out a file, holding it open for him. "This happened," she said, taking no small measure of satisfaction when he blanched, swallowing convulsively.

"Siler?"

She nodded. "Four days. Ratner worked on him for FOUR days and he still wouldn't talk. They broke his bones, cut him, shocked him…they killed him by inches and he still died protecting me." She looked at him, unashamed of the tears in her eyes. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep on doing this. Someone has to know and-"

"Ssh, ssh," he said, closing the folder and pulling her into a hug. "Someone is gonna know. That's why we're here. We're gonna stop them. We need your help."

She pulled away from him. "What can I do?"

"Just exactly what you're doing." He glanced around. "I have somewhere safe you can hide. Will you come with me?" She nodded and he took her hand in his. "You are not gonna believe who we met."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

_'SG-9 just returned from Taldor, sir," Samuels briefed him, laying the folder on his desk._

_'What did they have to say about SG-1?" Gordon asked, shuffling the papers around._

_'They were executed, sir.'_

_'Executed?'_

_Samuels nodded. 'One of the more creative uses for the Stargate, sir. They send all their prisoners through the gate to a Mercury type planet.' He sighed. 'At least it was painless, sir. They would have died in an instant.'_

  
The sharp sound of an echoing gunshot tore Gordon from his memories.

"Crap," O'Neill muttered.

"Captain Carter-"

Boot steps pounded up the metal stairs and in just seconds a half dozen SF's had them surrounded.

"You'll never make it out of this mountain," Gordon said, unwilling to have bloodshed on his base. Besides, he would never find out how two dead men got into his office if they were killed.

O'Neill sighed and raised his hands, Teal'c doing the same. "Secure them," Gordon ordered, turning to let Sergeant Markham cut his own bindings. "Bring them with us."  
Gordon walked out of his office and across the briefing room towards the staircase. He quickly descended the stairs, shocked at what he saw.

The duty personnel were sitting against the wall in the corner, their hands and feet tied while Sergeant Ratner was helping Samuels to his feet.

Across the room, a woman lay on the floor, a growing pool of blood identifying her as the victim. "What happened here?" Gordon demanded, making his way over to the injured woman.

"She was hacking into the computers," Samuels said. "When I attempted to stop her, she tried to kill me. The Sergeant here saved my life."

Gordon knelt down and checked her pulse, barely able to find it fluttering under his fingers. He couldn't ignore the growing red stain on the back of her dress. "What was she looking in the database for?" he asked, trying to reconcile the idea with the image he had of the woman.

_  
'The damage is quite extensive, sir," Samuels reported. 'The symbiote apparently damaged a significant portion of Captain Carter's brain, including language and comprehension.'_

_'And there's nothing we can do?'_

_'I'm afraid it's beyond our abilities to fix.'_

  
"Carter!" O'Neill struggled against his guards, only stopping when one of them punched him in the gut. He fell to his knees, gasping.

Samuels staggered over to join Gordon. He roughly rolled Carter to her front, examining the wound. "At least the brain stem is intact. We'll finally be able to study how the symbiote attaches itself and takes control," he said.

"Captain Carter requires medical attention," Teal'c said.

"Shut up, Jaffa!" Samuels ordered. "You'll be next."

"Oh my god!" Bauer turned, frowning as Doctor Frasier hurried into the room, stopping in her tracks when she caught sight of the situation.

"Doctor, we need you," Bauer said, putting aside his questions for the moment. He was no doctor, but he knew from the amount of blood that she was losing, Carter wouldn't live much longer.

Frasier hurried forward, dropping a satchel of paper as she knelt down. Bauer saw a shadow in the doorway. "Someone's out there," he said, motioning for Markham to check it out. The man did as he was bid and returned in a few seconds, leading another man. "Doctor Jackson," Bauer said, the situation getting more confusing by the second.

"I need a medical team down here, now!" Frasier ordered.

"Doctor, do whatever you need. Markham, lock these three up."

"Yes, sir." 

Bauer got to his feet and moved over to the sergeant, lowering his voice. "No one but you and your men have access to them. Am I understood?"

Markham looked over Bauer's shoulder and Bauer saw his eyes settle on Samuels, narrowing slightly. "Yes, sir, and not a problem, sir."

Bauer nodded. "Untie those men and lock this place down. No one gets in or out until I figure out what the hell is going on."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack sat in the cell, his back against the wall and his knees drawn up. He watched as Daniel paced, wishing that he had the luxury of such an outlet. "Why won't they tell us something?" Daniel demanded.

"Because we're in the brig," Jack said.

"Refusal to share information is a common interrogation tactic," Teal'c said.

"I don't want information, I just want to know if Sam's alive."

"You wouldn't be worrying if we hadn't have come," Jack couldn't resist saying.

Daniel turned. "Jack, you heard the Asgard-"

"I heard you," Jack interrupted. "If Earth is so damned important to Thor, why the hell isn't he here?"

"I don't know," Daniel confessed. He sank down in one of the chairs, his shoulders slumped. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he said softly.

"All hope may not be lost," Teal'c said.

Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It was cleaner now but he still hadn't been able to get it cut. "If Carter's lucky, she's dead," he said. Daniel looked at him with stricken eyes. "Can you honestly tell me you want her to go back to being their slave?" He stared for a second, then dropped his eyes, shaking his head. "You do whatever you gotta do," Jack said. "You don't owe anyone anything, your only responsibility is to yourself."

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked.

"O'Neill speaks of the trials you are likely to face in captivity," Teal'c said. He looked at Jack and Jack knew that the Jaffa was well aware of the limited scope of their future. 

They weren't just prisoners, they were inconvenient. They were proof of a conspiracy and would probably not live out the day. "If you want to survive, do whatever you have to. And if you don't…that's no one's business but your own," Jack said evenly.

"If I don't?" Daniel asked, raising his eyebrows.

"There is more than one way to escape captivity, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

The lock clicked and Jack looked up, not surprised to see Kevin Lorne pushed into the room. He scanned the man, searching for any obvious injury and found none. "Fancy meeting you here," Jack said.

"How far did you make it?" Daniel asked. Their mutual decision had been, if things took a turn to the worst, for each of them to try and escape the SGC and get out, hopefully taking the truth with them and to either survive or to find someone that would believe them.

"They met me at the surface," Kevin said. He held up his hands. "I think I got blisters."

"Did you find out anything about Sam?" Daniel asked.

Kevin shook his head. "I stayed long enough to see them take her to the infirmary." He looked at Jack. "They were moving too fast for it to be good." 

Jack nodded, expecting his words. "You did the best you could," he said.

Kevin sighed and nodded and Jack could see that while he'd heard his words, he didn't believe them. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait," Teal'c said.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Gordon slowly flipped through the reports, his heart sinking with each word. "How? How did it get so bad?" he muttered, setting aside one report for another. He read the autopsy report, his experience allowing him to read between the lines. There were, after all, only so many ways that 'tortured to death' could be sugar coated. Especially when the victim wasn't an alien or enemy, he was one of their own.

Gordon wasn't so naïve to think that torture didn't happen. It was a sad fact of life, especially for those for whom life and death was a common part of their jobs. But not to their own. They were never supposed to harm their own.

He looked at the files on his desk and knew that they were but a drop in the bucket. "I've been a fool," he whispered, setting the sickening file to the side.

He'd been too lazy, too lax, too complacent. And he'd given Samuels too much leeway. He couldn't control this. Couldn't fix it. It was too big.

He reached for the telephone and dialed the number of the only person he felt he could trust. The one person that he knew Kinsey hated with a passion.

/\/\/\/\/\

Hearing the all too familiar recording, Albert Samuels indulged himself in a fit of pique and tossed the receiver into its cradle, not caring that it bounced right out and skittered across his desk. 

Sighing at his own lack of self-control, he carefully picked up the receiver and replaced it, settling for staring at the offending bit of plastic. "Whoever the hell heard of locking down communications?" he asked rhetorically, leaning back in his chair.

It'd been six hours now since he'd run across Carter in the control room and not only was the base physically locked down, the computer and telephones were locked out as well, effectively cutting the SGC off from the rest of the world.

A shadow crossed his door and Samuels looked up, motioning for Ratner to join him.   
"The prisoners?"

Ratner shook his head, his thick neck making it look like he was shaking his whole upper body. The burly sergeant was built like a boxer, his thick arms and legs speaking of a compact strength. "They won't let me close. Markham's got the whole hall cordoned off."

"And the infirmary?"

"Same way. They got Carter in one of the isolation rooms. No one's allowed in but medical personnel."

Samuels shook his head. "He's been compromised somehow. That's the only explanation."

"How?" Ratner asked. "The President's had him under constant surveillance since he took command."

"We'll figure out the how later. Right now we need to see about getting control of our base back."

The phone rang and Samuels frowned, waiting until the second ring to pick it up. "Samuels? Yes, certainly, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone. "The old man's calling a meeting." He pushed his chair back and got to his feet, motioning for Ratner to join him.

It took them only minutes to make their way down to level twenty-seven. The base was running on a skeleton staff, the night shift pressed into a double duty since their replacements were turned back at the surface.

They walked into the briefing room, Samuels' confident pace slowing as he saw Markham and his team escorting the four male fugitives in as well. "What are these criminals doing out of their cell, Sergeant?" he asked.

"General's orders, Colonel," Markham said, accentuating the ranks.

All five men sat on opposite sides of the table and Ratner took up station behind Samuels. The door to Bauer's office opened and three people walked out, Bauer, Doctor Frasier and a third man that Samuels didn't recognize. "General on deck," Markham said. 

Samuels got smartly to his feet while O'Neill, Jackson and Teal'c ignored the order, only Lorne making a half-hearted gesture to stand, before he too remained sitting. "As you were," Bauer said. He gestured for Doctor Frasier to take her seat. "This is General Vidrine," he introduced, deferring to the taller black man.

Samuels frowned. He didn't recognize this man. "If I may, sir, I thought we were on lockdown?" he asked.

"You may not," Vidrine said sharply. Bauer took a seat and Vidrine remained standing. "I am here to announce the temporary cessation of all activities within the SGC. As soon as possible, all off-world teams will be recalled and will be placed on stand down. Within twenty-four hours, we will be joined by several members of a newly created oversight committee. This committee will be comprised of both civilian and military personnel and will be answerable to the Joint Chiefs of Staff only."

"Sir," Samuels said. "The President-"

"Will be informed of our findings when we are ready to inform him, and not before," Vidrine interrupted. "This command, and everyone in it, is under investigation of charges, not limited to, kidnapping, assault, murder and treason. EVERY member of this command will present him or herself to questioning by this committee. Should evidence be found to support these allegations, appropriate actions will be taken."

"This is preposterous," Samuels declared, shooting to his feet. "The President-"

"The President is the guiltiest of the bunch," Vidrine said. "And you, Colonel, will remain seated." He turned his hawk like gaze to Ratner. "You too, Sergeant. In fact, we have enough preliminary information to confine both of you to the brig. For your own protection, of course. We wouldn't want something to happen to you before the committee has a chance to speak with you."

Markham's team shifted their position, moving to stand behind Samuels and Ratner, effectively boxing them in. "General, we're not the enemy here. Hell, Jackson isn't even from this reality. You can't trust them."

"I think I can trust them a damn sight better than I can trust you," Vidrine said. He turned to look at O'Neill, Teal'c, Lorne and Jackson. "Gentlemen, for the time being you are also confined to quarters, under guard." He turned back to Samuels. "Should anything happen to any of these men, or to Captain Carter, I will hold you personally responsible."

"Sir," Lorne spoke up. "How is Sam?"

Vidrine looked at Frasier, giving her permission to speak. "She's stable for now. The bullet did quite a bit of damage and she lost a lot of blood, but I think she'll pull through."

"We'd like to see her," O'Neill said.

Vidrine nodded. "That can be arranged." He turned to Bauer. "I think these four men can have access to their quarters, the infirmary, the gym and the commissary, under escort of course." 

"Yes, sir," Bauer agreed.

"I'm sure you understand that you cannot have contact with the outside world, not until we come up with a good story to explain your sudden resurrections. I apologize for any hardship, however I have enough of a mess to deal with at the present time."

"I think, other than my ex, Lorne is the only one of us that has family," O'Neill said. 

"Very well," Vidrine said. "General, you are relieved of command. I'm having a security contingent flown in as we speak. They will take over the security of this facility. As of this moment, every computer, file and record in this facility is off limits to the personnel of this base. Any attempts to destroy evidence will be dealt with most severely."

"Yes, sir," Bauer said. Samuels looked at his former commander, again grateful that the man was a spineless idiot. It wouldn't be too difficult to spin things favorably.

"And General?" Vidrine said. "It takes a true officer to expose the truth, especially when that truth does not show him in a favorable light." He sighed. "This briefing is over. Dismissed."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel walked into the infirmary, nodding at Janet as he made his way to the far bed. That was where she'd put Sam to give her the most privacy and quiet that she could. She was recovering, slowly but surely, although he knew that it'd be several more weeks before she was anything approaching well.

Kevin spent most of his days at her bedside, keeping her entertained and running some interference between her and the other base personnel. Daniel knew that Jack and Teal'c visited too, however both of them had been busy like him, their days filled with near constant debriefings and depositions. 

However, they all had a newly made tradition. As soon as Janet said that Sam could have normal food, the four of them hit the commissary and brought their dinner down to eat with Sam.

"You're late," Jack said, moving over to give Daniel room.

"But I come bearing gifts," he said, holding up a small glass of blue Jell-o. He set it down on Sam's tray and took his own chair, balancing his tray on his knees.

"Thank you." She abandoned her partially eaten goulash and picked up the Jell-o, accepting the spoon Kevin handed to her.

"Have they decided what to do with Yu?" Jack asked, shoveling the food into his mouth.

Daniel shook his head. "Not that I've heard. Some of the committee want to let him go. But some of the others are afraid he'll just attack us."

"They locked him up for six months and tortured him. Can't see why he'd be pissed," Jack said.

"Yu is one of the more honorable goa'uld," Teal'c said. "However his treatment does give him just cause to seek vengeance."

"Seth is easy," Daniel said. "He was on Earth for so long, no one out there really cares. And he committed enough atrocities before he was caught that they've got a good case to keep him locked up."

"I still find it rather ironic that it's Samuels' own paperwork that's putting the noose around his neck," Kevin said.

Jack shrugged. "He and Kinsey thought that they'd be held up as heroes. Gotta have that documentation to write your memoirs."

"A lot more people are coming forward," Daniel said. "Especially now that they know that they're going to be listened to and believed."

"Doctor Frasier said that they've subpoenaed a lot of her records," Sam said. 

Daniel nodded, glancing over at Jack. They both knew what Sam left unsaid, that not only did Frasier's records deal with the injuries and deaths that Samuels and Bauer covered up, but they also dealt with the treatment of personnel on this base, Sam among them.

"Which pretty much eliminates 'he said/she said'," Kevin said, touching Sam's hand reassuringly. Daniel knew that she was on the list of people to interview, in fact, very much on the top of the list. However, Doctor Frasier insisted that they wait a few more weeks at least.

"Vidrine and I had a little chat today," Jack said, finishing the last of his goulash and setting the tray on the floor. He picked up his glass of iced tea and held it in his hands.   
"He's talking about sending a team through the gate."

"For what purpose, O'Neill," Teal'c asked, also setting his tray down.

"I thought gate travel was suspended indefinitely."

"This isn't a normal mission," Jack said. "They want us to get evidence from Kinsey's off world victims." He looked around at the small group. "They've done a LOT of nasty shit   
out there."

  
"How can they be tried for crimes against people that the world doesn't really know exists?" Kevin asked. "Most of the public still thinks that Apophis' attack was a high altitude nuclear missile explosion. If I remember right, Kinsey blamed a half dozen middle eastern countries."

"He still does," Jack said. "Only the Joint Chiefs knows the truth. It doesn't matter if no one knows about the Stargate Program. The crimes against sentience - which is how the lawyers are phrasing it - is gonna be used as leverage. Something to shut down any of his supporters."

"Gathering evidence will not be an easy task," Teal'c said. "The Tau'ri do not possess much credibility with the various alien races they have wronged."

"Didn't say that it'd be easy, just that they want us to do it," Jack said.

"Us?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "As far as the committee sees it, other than our rather obvious conflict of interest with Bauer and him leaving us behind, we're the only ones in this facility who are not under suspicion."

"Being off world for a year gives you a very good alibi for anything that's happened since then," Daniel said.

"Yep."

"What does he have in mind?" Kevin asked.

"Talking to them, probably videoing testimony. There's a hope that the JCS will authorize some sort of compensation," Jack said. He looked at all of them. "If you guys don't want to go, Vidrine is gonna dig up some people he knows. Folks that have nothing to do with Kinsey, Samuels or even him."

"And if we do go?" Kevin asked.

Jack shrugged. "Well, like Teal'c says, there's a good chance we won't get a warm welcome. Vidrine is working on authorizing some humanitarian aid in place first, soften them up a bit."

"I will assist you, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

Daniel shrugged. "Might as well." He looked around. "Presuming, of course that umm…"

"Being from another universe is a pretty damn good alibi."

They all turned to look at Kevin who shifted uncomfortably. "I aah, I don't know. I was kinda thinking of spending a little time Earth side." Daniel looked over at Jack, smothering a grin as both Sam and Kevin's faces flushed.

"Not all missions end badly," Sam said. "Sometimes they can even be fun."

"Says the person who thought gate diagnostics were fun," Jack teased. He looked at Kevin. "It won't happen for a couple of weeks. It's gonna take them that long to finish deposing the rest of the SGC and the people at Area 51."

They talked for several more minutes, the conversation slowly dwindling as the men noticed that Sam was falling asleep. One by one, they quietly got up and slipped out of the room, taking their dirty dishes with them. "She lasted longer than yesterday," Kevin whispered once they were out in the hall.

"It takes a while," Jack said. "When we got back from the Antarctic I think I slept eighteen hours a day for a while."

They put their dirty trays on a cart in the hall and Jack looked at his watch. "It's almost time for 'The Simpsons'. Daniel, want to join us?"

He shook his head. "I think I'm gonna go hit the gym."

"Suit yourself." The other three walked down the hall and Daniel went the other direction, bypassing the gym. Instead he made his way to his quarters, seeking refuge in the one place he knew he could have some privacy. He plopped down on the bed, sighing as he shut his eyes.

He couldn't believe that it was over. Ok, so over was a bit of an exaggeration. From the looks of things, 'over' was a few years off. But, all in all, their return to Earth and the arrests of Kinsey, Samuels and their cohorts had gone relatively smoothly.   
He found it hard to believe that, just a little over a month ago, he'd been in his own universe. 

_  
"Hammond's dead, so's Teal'c. I don't know about Carter but…Daniel someone has to get out of here that knows what's going on. That knows what the goa'uld are and how to fight them. That's you."_

_"Jack-"_

_"Daniel. Go. Get your ass out of here."_

  
He missed his friends, the fact that he'd spent the last few weeks with other versions of them made his feelings all the more muddled. How could he mourn the deaths of people that he could still talk to?

An odd feeling washed over him and Daniel opened his eyes, frowning for a moment at the bare grey ceiling over his head. A ceiling that looked nothing like the ceiling of his quarters at the SGC. "Thor?" he asked, slowly sitting up.

"Greetings, Daniel Jackson." Thor slowly walked over to him from his place behind a control console.

"We'd thought you'd left."

"I have been monitoring the situation. I wished to observe your planet's reactions to its activities."

"Then it's probably a good thing that you kept a low profile," Daniel said. "They're not too fond of aliens down there."

"That is an expected reaction," Thor said.

Daniel nodded, getting to his feet. He slowly paced around the bridge, taking a moment to look out the view screen. The Beliskner was in a high orbit above Earth, high enough that he could clearly see the curves of both east and west horizons. "You know, " he said, a thought occurring to him. "They have satellites that are supposed to detect things like space ships."

"We have been visiting your planet for many years. We have yet to be detected," Thor said.

"That's aah, interesting," Daniel said, pondering the irony that the only way they'd been able to curb the power Kinsey had assumed using the threat of an alien invasion was with the assistance of an alien…one with technology more advanced than any of them could dream about.

"The Asgard High Council is pleased with the actions your people have taken," Thor said.

"Well, good for them," Daniel said.

"Do you not agree with the actions of your leaders?"

"Of course I do, I just….Sam almost died," he said, broaching the topic that had been   
bugging him for the past two weeks.

"Captain Carter's injuries were a unfortunate occurrence."

"Unfortunate?" Daniel asked. "She almost died. Why didn't you help her?"

""As you said, any revelation of our presence would severely undermine your credibility. And, Captain Carter is recovering."

"Yeah but-"

"And she will continue to recover," Thor interrupted. Daniel frowned. "In fact, your physician will describe her recovery as quite miraculous."

"You're helping her," Daniel said, Sam's transition from being at death's door to on the mend in fourteen short days now making sense.

"I am limited in what assistance I can offer since I cannot transport her to my ship, however, her recovery will be a most expeditious one."

"That's good, I guess," Daniel said.

"I wished to speak of another matter," Thor said. He walked back to his console and held something up. Daniel recognized it as the controller to the quantum mirror. "While I have been stationed here, I took the liberty to examine this device." He handed it to Daniel. "I believe that I have discovered the reality that is yours."

Daniel shook his head. "My mirror was destroyed. The self-destruct probably buried it under the mountain."

"On the contrary Daniel Jackson, your mirror still exists."

"How?" Daniel asked. "I remember the explosion."

"I do not know. However, I have matched your cellular resonance to that of the universe programmed into that controller."

Daniel stared at the small device in his hand. He'd been carrying it around for so long, taking it out of the SGC to keep Samuels from accidentally figuring it out. Carried it all over Hedantes and Cimmeria. In fact, the only time he really let it out of his sight, before leaving it up here with Thor for safe-keeping had been when he'd left it in the bag with Sam while he and Teal'c were sent to the labyrinth.

"I can go home?" he asked slowly.

"Indeed you can. You need only use that device to activate the mirror," Thor answered.

"What's there?" Daniel asked. "I mean, when I left the SGC was being invaded. Jack said that there were ships in orbit and…" he sighed. "It was bad."

"I do not know. I am unable to access the mirror without exposing my existence. However, you can use that controller whenever you wish to return to your universe."

"I thought I couldn't ever go back," Daniel said slowly, turning the controller over in his hands. Thor remained silent. "They could still be alive. Teal'c wouldn't be I guess. I remember Jack saying that he was dead. But Sam might be. Maybe they defeated the Goa'uld? Maybe you got there in time." He turned to look at Thor. "There was the treaty. The Asgard had to have helped us."

"I cannot know the details of a treaty that I did not negotiate," Thor said. "I merely wished to return this device to you and to inform you that we shall have no further communications."

"Why not?"

"Your race must again prove itself worthy. This must be done without outside interference."

"But Sam-"

"I will remain to observe," Thor interrupted. "But I will not interfere."

"What if we don't prove ourselves worthy?" Daniel asked.

"I have every confidence that you will. The human race shows great promise, Daniel Jackson. Perhaps, more than you can even imagine."

As he finished speaking, he moved his hand across the control panel and Daniel found himself back in his quarters, the controller still in his grasp.

His knees weak, he sank down on the bed, staring at the controller. He could go home. That was something he'd never even thought was a possibility. But, did he want to go home? Was there even a home left to go back to? Yeah, Thor said the reality was there but…was Earth free or was it some barren wasteland? Or, worse yet was it under the dominion of a goa'uld?

If that was the situation, then he could be walking back into a trap. He could find himself a prisoner again. And he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't concerned about that. The few days he'd spend in Hedantes definitely proved that he wasn't too fond of captivity. 

But what if it wasn't that bad? What if they'd won and Earth was free and Jack and Sam thought he was dead? Shouldn't he go back home? Didn't he BELONG back home? 

The Daniel Jackson in this universe was dead. Maybe he was supposed to be dead. What if he was screwing things up by staying here? Didn't he belong back in his universe?

But did he have the courage to go back? 

Could he face it again? The death and destruction. Picking up the pieces of a shattered world and starting over. He'd started over so many times in his life, after his parents' death, when he 'graduated' from foster care, after going to Abydos, coming back from Abydos…he was tired of starting over.

And he had so much here. Jack and Sam and Teal'c and…they were going to need some help fixing everything that Kinsey and Samuels had messed up. There were a lot of ticked off people out there. And he did have knowledge that they didn't have. He could help them, maybe steer them towards allies. 

But what if he messed things up? What if he wasn't meant to be here? He could make things worse. He could lead them to allies that weren't meant to be allies here. He could screw everything up. 

He set the controller down and leaned back, propping his back against the wall. He didn't know what to do.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam slipped out of the infirmary, stepping to the side to get out of the way of the paint crew. They'd been busy the past month, neatly and liberally coating the walls of the SGC with a fresh layer of nice grey paint.

She used to love the smell of paint. It evoked memories of things being fresh and clean and new. But now all she could think of was what the paint was covering. The freshly patched concrete, the black scorches on the walls, the splattered blood of her friends and comrades.

She made her way to her quarters, operating more from habit than really paying attention. She was tired, more tired than she'd ever been in her life, but she couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tried, every time she closed her eyes all she could see was the battle and its aftermath.

_  
Airmen solemnly picking up the dead and gently laying them in the thick plastic bags._

_Parts and pieces jumbled together, tattered remains of clothing the only way to identify them as friend or foe._

_Making the list, ticking off the names._

_Piles of little metal tags on the general's desk, his own among them._

_Frantic days and long nights, assessing the damage and counting the dead._

  
It still didn't seem real. Even after all this time, it was like a bad dream, a too-realistic nightmare. It couldn't have happened. It just couldn't be real. She'd turn around a corner and find Teal'c standing there, a calm look on his face but his eyes alight with humor and fun.

Daniel shuffling along, trying to read and walk at the same time and the colonel…the colonel ambling down the hall, his hands stuffed in his pockets, a ready quip on his lips.  
She wanted it back, she wanted it all back.

The klaxons blared and she stopped, quickly wiping her face. What the hell was going on? SF's pounded past her and she clumsily stepped to the side, staring as they piled into one of the store rooms.

What the hell kind of threat was in the store room? Someone stealing toilet paper? Surprisingly, she didn't care. She wasn't even curious. She'd just head onto her quarters and read the report in the morning. It probably wasn't anything big. The base was still on a skeleton staff, and likely would remain that way until the folks in Washington decided whether or not to re-open the Stargate.

"Look, I know how this looks. If you'll just listen to me."

She stopped, her hand going out to steady herself. It couldn't be. She was hearing things. Had to be hearing things. Maybe she'd finally cracked up, finally took that last turn around the bend. "Just keep walking," she whispered. "It's not there."

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and took a step forward, her goal solely to make it to her quarters without making a complete and total ass of herself. She couldn't get banned from the base right now. She had to be here, just in case he needed her.  
"I have a really good explanat---Sam! Oh my God, Sam!"

She heard a scuffle and started to turn around, her motion interrupted by a pair of hands that pulled her back. She stared in amazement as her eyes registered the person whose hands were currently wrapped around her arms. "I was hoping that you'd made it."

The SF's surrounded him and tried to pull him off her, shouting orders that she simply couldn't make out. "Sam? Sam?"

Unable to speak, she simply stood there, staring at Daniel as the blackness rushed in and her world faded away.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel sat in the uncomfortable chair, his attention torn between the two guards at the door and the person lying in the bed. As if on cue, Sam's eye lids began to flutter and he leaned forward, motioning for Janet to join them. "Hey. Take it slow." She looked at him, then closed her eyes, raising her hand to her face. "You're not seeing things. I'm real," he reassured her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I see him too," Janet said, joining them.

"You're dead," Sam muttered.

"No." Daniel glanced over at Janet. "I was in an alternate universe. I kinda got stuck there."

Sam opened her eyes and looked at Janet, seeking her confirmation. "He's the real Daniel," she said. "I don't have the preliminary DNA results back, and I have no idea what he's been up to for the past month, but physically, he's a perfect match for our Daniel."

Sam slowly pushed herself up, ignoring Daniel's offer of help. "I passed out in the hallway didn't I?" She asked ruefully.

"Pretty much, yeah," Janet said. "And just because I'm in a good mood, I'm gonna bypass my normal lecture on the importance of little things like sleep and food."

"What happened?" Daniel asked, tamping down on his concern for his friend. She looked like crap. In fact, he couldn't think of a time when he'd seen her looking so tired and drawn. She'd scared the hell out of him when she'd passed out. Of course, he probably scared the hell out of the SF's that had taken him into custody. "When I left, we were in the middle of a battle."

Sam sighed. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I ran into Jack. He said that there were ships in orbit and he told me to get to the surface and get out."

Sam nodded. "He wasn't exactly right. The ships weren't IN orbit, but were in the system. They made it as far as Mars before they just turned around and went away."

"He said that the self-destruct was going to go. That's what I thought happened when I went through the mirror, that the base had blown up."

"We don't know exactly what happened. The self-destruct never blew. A couple of Jaffa got there and disarmed it. On the upside, the base was still locked down. It took us a couple of days, but we finally got all the Jaffa."

"Who attacked us?" Daniel asked. "I mean, wasn't the protected planet's treaty supposed to have stopped things like this from happening?"

"Only if the goa'uld belonged to the system lords and felt like following it," Sam said. "At least that's what the Asgard said when we called them. We do think that's why the ships left."

"So, the invasion never happened?"

"Not beyond the SGC," Janet said. "None of the Jaffa ever made it to the surface."

"How bad was it?" Daniel asked.

Janet and Sam looked at each other. "We lost thirty-eight," Janet finally said. "General Hammond, Sergeant Davis and Colonel Makepeace among them."

"All of SG-5 and 9," Sam said.

"Teal'c?" Daniel asked. "I remember Jack saying that-" Both women looked down instead of answering. "He's dead, isn't he?" Daniel asked.

"I'll show him," Sam said. She slowly slid off the bed. Daniel followed her as she led him out of the infirmary and down the hall towards the isolation room. He didn't fail to notice that the SF's stayed with them and figured that the only thing keeping him out of the brig was that he'd scared the crap out of some poor guy who'd been cataloging stuff in the store room when he'd come through the mirror.

"So, aah, if General Hammond is…I mean, umm…"

"His name is General Landry," Sam said, looking over her shoulder at him. "Apparently he's an old friend of General Hammond. He's different but…so far he's ok."

Daniel picked up a tone in her voice and moved closer to her. "Sam? Are you ok?"

She smiled slightly. "It's been a very bad month."

Daniel followed her into the isolation room, grateful that the SF's stayed out in the hall. It was one of the smaller isolation rooms and often served more as a private room for someone in the infirmary. 

She led him over to the bed, pausing and turning to look at him. "It's really not as bad as it looks," she said softly.

Daniel joined her, staring in horror at the bandage-wrapped figure in the bed. "Oh my god," he muttered. "What happened?"

"We think it was a grenade," she said, reaching down to take his right hand. Half of his face was covered with thick white bandages and a tube down his throat was helping him breathe. "He lost his eye and there's going to be some really bad scarring," she said. "But Janet doesn't think that there's any brain damage. There were a lot of shrapnel injuries to his chest and…"

She trailed off and Daniel looked down, seeing the injury that she didn't list. His left arm lay on top of the covers, more white gauze hiding what he knew to be the most heartbreaking of injuries. "They tried to save it," Sam said. "But there was just too much damage."

"He's been unconscious since the attack," Janet said, joining them.

"But Teal'c's never been like this for so long," Daniel said.

Janet shook her head. "A few months ago, when you guys were taken by Hathor, Teal'c was injured. He was in a coma for almost three weeks before he woke up."

"But kelnoreem-"

"I think if we can just keep him alive until he's strong enough to kelnoreem, then he'll heal."

Daniel stared at the still figure in the bed, realizing just how much he'd missed in the other universe. "And Jack?" he asked, somehow knowing what the answer would be.

"Four bodies were never recovered," Sam said. "You, Sergeant Miller, Captain Singh and Colonel O'Neill." She reached into her BDU pocket and pulled something out, holding it up in her palm. Daniel recognized a blackened and battered dog tag. "This was all we found."

Daniel stared at the tiny piece of aluminum, its significance sinking in. "He's dead?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Died a hero."

~Fin~


	2. It's the Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Daniel's return, Sam finds out that things are not as they seem

* * *

  


  
Sam stood in the doorway of the gym, he eyes riveted upon the figure on the far side of the room. He was seated at one of the weight benches, a small barbell clutched in his right fist. She watched him do curl after curl, the muscles of his right arm rippling as his mangled left arm lay in his lap.

Even after six months, the stump was still wrapped, a large elastic bandage serving to both protect the delicate skin and to help it heal. He wore a patch to cover his missing eye, the narrow band doing nothing to cover the deep scars that marred his face and head.  
There were other scars along his chest and arms, exposed by the tight fitting tank top that he wore and Sam knew that there were a few more hidden by the black shorts he wore.

"He looks good." 

Sam glanced over her shoulder, smiling a bit at Daniel. "Yeah," she said softly.

"Janet said that Junior's helped a lot."

She nodded. "He'd be dead without the symbiote."

Teal'c set down the barbell and got up from the bench, making his way over to the treadmill. He punched buttons on the controls and started to jog, setting the machine to a brisk pace.

Sam watched him run, her gaze riveted on his bandaged stump. She knew she shouldn't stare, but she couldn't help it. Her eyes were drawn to the stump and even though she knew he no longer had a hand, her mind kept trying to fill in the void and the tan colored elastic wrap did little more than accentuate his loss.

"I know he's still not comfortable going out in public," Daniel said. "But I was going to see if Teal'c wanted to come over for dinner, maybe toss a DVD in the player. Want to come?" he invited.

Sam shook her head, tearing her eyes away from her former teammate. "I have a ton of things to take care of," she said.

"A team hasn't gone through the gate since The Attack," Daniel said. "There's no new tech to study, no new MALP readings to go over. What's there to do?" he asked, letting his frustration show.

"Kinsey will run out of ammunition pretty soon," she said. "And when he does, the SGC will be back up and running. We have to be ready when that happens."

"If that happens."

"When," she insisted. "And when it happens we have to make sure that we can't have a repeat of The Attack," she said, falling into the habit of using the euphemism that they'd all adopted.

That was how time was told here in the mountain now. Before The Attack and After The Attack. Before The Attack was when the SGC could devote itself to exploration and adventure. After The Attack was when they discovered that their greatest enemy didn't come from the stars.

Thirty-eight deaths was enough to guarantee an investigation and the Joint Chiefs were divided, torn between the prospect of the riches and technology they could find off world and afraid that searching for such riches could make Earth a target again.

General Landry figured that they had a 50/50 chance of the SGC getting shut down, odds that weren't helped by the fact that they were banned from the gate, and so couldn't hope to find something to sway the Joint Chiefs in their favor.

"Still," Daniel said. "Nothing's gonna happen for a while. You might as well come with us."

Sam looked over at Teal'c and slowly shook her head. "I don't think so. But thanks for asking. Meet you for lunch?" She pasted a wide smile on her face.

"Sure," Daniel said, accepting her excuse. She left the gym and made her way down the hall. She waited until she was around the corner to slow her pace and sigh. She knew that Daniel meant well, but he just didn't understand the situation.

She didn't spend time with Teal'c any longer, and it was very much his idea that she keep her distance. She knew that his injuries bothered him, probably more than Daniel even realized. It wasn't just the scars on his face and the loss of his eye, but the amputation of his hand.

Daniel was pretty much the only person on base that Teal'c tolerated with anything more than the most basic level of politeness. And his tolerance level of her was even lower.

"Major Carter to the control room."

Sam looked up, even as she acknowledged the silliness of looking for the source of the page. Turning on her heel, she hurried back down the hall and towards the elevator, quickly summoning a car and getting in.

It took her only minutes to arrive at level twenty-eight. Many of the base personnel were gone; either transferred to other posts or taking long term leave. With no off-world missions or operations, they really didn't need too much beyond basic support staff. Of course, there were a few hold outs, Sam among them. She just couldn't believe that the SGC would ever be totally closed down; there were far too many 'goodies' out there for the boys in Washington to just give it all up. She figured, worse case scenario, they would just have to wait out the current administration and try again with the next president. 

She jogged up the stairs to the control room, acknowledging General Landry. "Sir?"

"We just received a transmission." He nodded at Sergeant Wood and the man typed a command into the computer, playing the recording over the speakers. 

"Stargate Command, this is Jacob Carter. I'm requesting permission to land at Peterson AFB. My ship is cloaked and I'm presently in a geosynchronous orbit."

"That was fifteen minutes ago," Landry said. "He should be landing pretty soon and will be here in half an hour."

"That's great," Sam said, thrilled at the prospect of seeing her father. That was one aspect of the SGC being shut down that she found the hardest to deal with: the prospect that her father could be marooned off world forever.

Landry nodded. "The preference is, of course, that General Carter remain on Earth. Despite the fact that in him staying here, we are also basically imprisoning an alien ambassador. Because of that, he will be permitted to leave, for the time being."

"For the time being?" Sam asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Just one of many things the JCS is fighting over," he said. "Take your time, Major. Once he clears medical, General Carter is free to leave the base, as long as he's accompanied. Let me know if he shares any vital intel."

"I will, sir, thank you. I'm going to go meet him at the surface," Sam told Sergeant Wood after the general left the control room, returning to his office.

"Yes, ma'am."

Mindful that it would take her several minutes to get to the surface she left the control room and retraced her steps back to the elevator. Riding the car to the surface she leaned against the wall, trying to remember what all had changed since she'd seen him last. "Just the world," she muttered, pushing her fingers through her hair. "Just the world."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jacob Carter got out of the car, glaring at his escorts. 'Such fear is laughable,' Selmac said. 'Our ship could very easily have evaded their primitive surveillance efforts and landed where we wished.'

'I know,' Jacob said, forgoing his own ire to calm his symbiote. 'But you can't blame them. Not after the invasion attempt. Besides, tell me that the Tok'ra aren't just as paranoid.'

'I cannot,' she admitted. 'However, such knowledge does not alter the fact that their fear is directed towards the wrong sources.'

'I know,' Jacob agreed. Even while he understood the need for heightened security, he also acknowledged that their efforts were pitiful at best. There were many highly advanced and technologically rich cultures that couldn't hope to withstand a full fledged goa'uld invasion. 

"I'll take it from here." Jacob turned, a smile creasing his face as he caught sight of Sam walking out of the tunnel entrance.

"Hey kiddo," he greeted, indulging himself in a hug.

"Hi, dad." She returned the hug, then stepped back. "What brings you here?"

"I have to have a reason to visit my kid?"

"You don't have to, but you usually do," she said. She looked over his shoulder, eyeing the guards. "Maybe we should continue this downstairs."

"You're probably right."

Jacob followed his daughter back to the tunnel and into the elevators which delivered them efficiently to the lower levels of the SGC. Mindful of General Landry's orders, Sam bypassed the briefing room and instead led her father into her lab, closing the door to give them some privacy. The physical could wait. "What's up?" she asked, motioning for him to take a seat.

"You were right on the surface, I'm not really here for a social call," he confessed. "Although, I do have to admit that I am glad to see you." He sighed at the understatement. In truth, the only thing that had kept him from visiting Earth earlier was that he'd been deep undercover in Sokar's court and literally had no idea what had happened. "How bad was it?" he asked seriously.

"The ship turned around so the attack was contained to the SGC," she said. "We lost thirty-eight, Colonel O'Neill among them."

Jacob nodded, her words not a surprise. "You saw him?" he fished.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you see Colonel O'Neill's body?"

She looked down, closing her eyes for a second. "No," she finally said after taking a deep breath. "He and four other were MIA presumed KIA."

'I believe the phrase is 'I told you so,'' Selmac said.

"That explains this then," Jacob said, reaching into his tunic to pull out a small recording device. "Korra brought this back from a mission a couple of weeks ago. And, I'm afraid, that no one really knew what it meant until Martouf happened to be going over his information."

He handed the disc like apparatus to her. She took it and pressed the small switch that activated the display. A small hologram shimmered into existence, seeming to float above her palm. Her eyes widened and her face paled. "This isn't possible," she whispered.

"I am afraid that it is quite possible, Major Carter," Selmac said, taking control.

"Selmac, he's dead," Sam insisted.

"Did you see his body?" Selmac pressed.

"It was a fire fight," Sam said. "A vicious fire fight." She stared at him with haunted eyes. "We found pieces," she said flatly. She dug in her fatigue pocket. "We also found this."  
She handed him a blackened and battered dog tag.

Jacob took it and studied it for a second before handing it back to her. "The goa'uld in the image that Korra obtained calls himself Ba'al. And, we have it on good authority, that he recently changed hosts after his previous one was severely injured in battle." He handed the dog tag back to her. "Sam, I don't know what to tell you but…it fits."

"How did he get off Earth and on some planet?" she asked, taking the bit of metal. "The ships never got closer than Mars." Jacob remained silent, waiting for her to put it together. "It took us eight hours to get the gate room back," she said after a few minutes, her voice soft. "The security cameras were damaged. We have no idea who came or went."

"Losing your 'god' would make the Jaffa retreat. Especially if the First Prime ordered it."  
He lowered his head as Selmac took control. "Given that he had three Hatak ships at his disposal, the 'death' of the goa'uld is likely the only thing that would have stopped the attack."

"I've got to talk to General Landry," Sam said, hopping down off the stool.

"Sam?"

"If Colonel O'Neill is alive, then the other four missing men might be as well. We have to go get them," she said over her shoulder as she hurried from the room.

'That was a predictable response,' Selmac said.

'And the one I expected but…I have a funny feeling that going after Jack is going to be a lot easier said than done."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"So, presuming that this isn't Jack O'Neill's evil twin, how precisely is him being the host to a system lord a good thing?" Landry asked, holding up the imager Carter had just given him.

"He's alive," Sam said, a slight touch of patronization in her voice. Landry chose to ignore it. He was well aware of what the woman had lost, and how it felt to lose a person that was not only your leader, but also a friend.

"And is off-world, a prisoner in his own body if I recall the situation correctly."

"Sir, if Colonel O'Neill is alive, then our other missing personnel might be too."

"A fact that is not in our favor."

"General-"

"Major, this will play right into Kinsey's hands. He has a lot of friends. Do you have any idea the intelligence that Jack O'Neill carries in his brain? Information about Earth's defenses. Hell, I don't even remember if we deleted his iris codes." Hank tossed the image device down on his desk and sighed. "He could hand them Earth on a silver platter."

"I think the fact that he hasn't done that by now, speaks volumes," she said.

"He may just be gathering forces. Unlike this Ba'al, he's got a realistic idea of the resistance he'll face."

"If we could capture him, he might give us anything we've ever wanted to know about the goa'uld," she retorted.

"Presuming that the creature controlling his body and mind lets him," Landry said.

"Obviously, we would have to recover the colonel, get him back here and get the goa'uld out of him."

Hank stared at her for a second, wondering if she realized exactly what she was saying. What she suggested was tantamount to searching for life on Mars by taking a quick afternoon stroll. Then again, she and her former team had pulled off the odd miracle.  
"How do you plan to recover O'Neill? The SGC is still shut down, and I know they will not authorize us to use the gate. Especially since we have to way of knowing if Jack O'Neill still exists."

"Something of the host survives," she said after a few seconds.

"Something?"

"Sir, you know that I'm speaking from experience-"

"This isn't a Tok'ra."

"Jolinar wasn't exactly…considerate," she said. "She took over and she took control, very much without my consent."

"For…three days was it?"

"Four," she corrected, her voice tight.

Hank nodded. "O'Neill's been gone, and presumably a host, for six months," he reminded needlessly.

"He's experienced it once before so he knows what to expect." Hank raised his eyebrows. "The colonel doesn't give up," she said. "Where there's a will, there's an or." He frowned and she shook her head. "You had to be there. General, if anyone can survive six months as a host, Colonel O'Neill can."

He stared at her for a few minutes, oddly disconcerted when she refused to break his gaze. She was stubborn, he'd give her that much. He had a feeling she'd need every ounce of that stubbornness if she was going to pull this off. "Let me make a few calls," he said.

"Thank you, sir," she smiled.

"Don't thank me yet," he warned. "Right now I figure you have a 50/50 chance of them approving this. Dismissed."

She got to her feet and left the room and Hank watched her go, taking a second to shake his head before he picked up the phone. "And god help me if they say no," he muttered, punching the numbers.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam sat in her lab, glaring as the screen saver popped on. She didn't turn it off, rather sat there and watched the multi-colored ball bounce slowly across the screen.

Her pensive mood had even bugged her father enough that he'd left her alone, seeking refuge in the commissary. 

Looking at her watch, she sighed. What the hell was taking him so long? It shouldn't take an hour to get approval. General Hammond had gotten some of their missions approved in just minutes. "How hard can it be?" she muttered, drumming her fingers on the desk.

"Harder than you might think." 

Hearing Landry's voice, she jumped out of her chair, grateful that she'd been keeping some of her less charitable thoughts to herself. "Sir."

"At ease," he said, motioning for her to take her seat. He took a moment to close the door then pulled up a chair of his own. "What I'm about to say is more than I should and more than you're supposed to know." He paused for a moment, collecting himself. "In theory, the JCS is all for rescuing Colonel O'Neill and any more survivors that may exist."

"In theory?" Sam asked, catching his careful choice of words.

"While they recognize the advantages of rescuing him, they also have to look at the big picture, namely not putting this planet at risk."

"Colonel O'Neill could already be doing that," she said, not betraying her leader but willing to spin the facts any way she had to to get a mission approved.

"That possibility has been considered. However, in light of the attack a few months ago, there are members of the Joint Chiefs that are literally scared shitless of ever opening the Stargate again. As far as they're concerned, we brought this upon ourselves."

"That's not fair, sir. Every exploration has risks," Sam protested.

"And if some of these folks actually left the city limits, they'd know that," he said. "But," he said a bit louder, getting her attention. "The super-cautious were not a majority."  
Sam's heart skipped a beat but she refused to get her hopes too high. True, she didn't know General Landry as well as she had General Hammond, but there was something in his eyes that suggested that she wasn't going to like whatever he was going to say.  
"Colonel O'Neill has been deemed a threat worth being neutralized."

"Neutralized?"

"The risk that he presents to Earth is too great of one to be allowed to continue. I am to assemble a strike force with the sole purpose of eradicating that threat."

"They're going to assassinate him?" she asked, horrified at his words. She surged to her feet. "They can't do that!"

"They can and they will," he said calmly, nonplused by her outburst.

"That's ridiculous! Colonel O'Neill has given over twenty years to his country. He deserves better!" she ranted, not caring if her behavior was a serious breach of protocol.   
For half a second she regretted that her father had come. She paced angrily, her boots slapping down on the concrete.

"There are members of the JCS that felt the same way," Landry said, getting to his feet. He grabbed her arm and stopped her pacing. "If Jack O'Neill makes it back to Earth, alive and un-goa'ulded, they will consider that a neutralization of the threat."

Sam smiled, her anger fading in an instant. "So it is a rescue mission."

Landry shook his head. "You don't understand. It is feared that any action on our part will be seen as an act of aggression, but Jack has enough friends that don't cotton to him just being abandoned. But they also can't risk the safety of the planet for only one man.

"I have two choices. Officially send in a strike force to assassinate him, or do nothing and 'unofficially' hope that he can make it home."

"So you're saying that we either kill Colonel O'Neill, or we kill Ba'al?" she asked, trying to wrap her brain around it all.

"And Ba'al cannot die on Earth. In fact, he can't die in any manner that can be attributed to us," Landry clarified.

"Ok," Sam nodded. "We'll just get him and take him to the Tok'ra and-"

"No."

"No?"

"They don't trust the Tok'ra."

Sam threw her hands up in the air. "General, they're making it impossible to exercise any other option but to kill him," she complained.

"Which is why you can refuse this mission," he said. He sighed heavily. "As disgusting as I find the prospect of assassination, I think you and I can both agree that Jack, given the choice between death or eternity as a host, would take death. I've checked the duty files, we have two men on SG-3 who have qualified as snipers. I can send them to the planet General Carter gave us."

"To kill Colonel O'Neill," she said bitterly.

"The blood won't be on your hands if you fail," he said bluntly.

Sam paused, tempted to take him up on his offer. It would be so easy. So incredibly easy to just let go, to let someone else take care of it all. As horrible as it sounded, it was easier to think of him as already dead. And in a lot of ways he was.

She'd already mourned his passing. She'd called his ex-wife, stood beside her during the memorial, told the woman the cover story. She'd already cleaned out his office and his locker and even spent a weekend helping Sara clean out his house before the woman put it on the market.

As far as Earth was concerned, he died six months ago.

  
_Jack hopped up on the gurney, sighing softly as he laid back, getting comfortable while he waited for Janet to show up. There were a lot of physicals for her to do, not just the normal post gate, but also triage and treatment for the injured._

_SG-3's rescue of them had certainly been welcome, but it hadn't come cheaply. Three men died and four others were injured, and it was those injured that occupied Janet's time at the moment._

_Sam knew that Doctor Warner was helping, taking responsibility for the routine post-gates. But she, Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were due for an extra thorough exam. Not only because they'd been missing for so long, but because of the other things that had happened. Namely Daniel's injury to his leg, Sam's little run-in with Hathor's ribbon device and, most especially, the colonel's possession by the goa'uld._

_Sam hadn't missed the shocked looks on everyone's faces when they'd heard about Jack. General Hammond's swift intake of air, Makepeace's cautious and appraising look. She knew that the goa'uld was dead. But they couldn't take her word for it. She was compromised too._

_"Carter, do me a favor?" he asked, softly, one arm lying over his eyes._

_"What's that, sir?" she asked, crawling up on a gurney of her own. She glanced at the door, not surprised to see the two SF's standing there. They would be under guard until Janet had time to run the MRI and prove that neither of them were hosts. But, at the moment, she was occupied sewing up the gash in Daniel's leg._

_Jack rolled his head over and looked at her, his gaze serious and haunted. "If I ever get taken over by a goa'uld again, shoot me," he requested softly._

_She stared, horrified at his words. She caught a glimpse of remembered horror and pain before it vanished, replaced by a façade of calm. Acknowledging the importance of what he was asking, she simply nodded._

  
She couldn't. She wouldn't leave him. Not like this. "Major?" Landry asked.

"SG-1 takes care of its own," she said, meeting his gaze.

He sighed and nodded. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that. Whatever supplies you need, just let me know and I'll sign off on it." He started to leave then turned back. "Major, you should know. The President's the strongest supporter of bringing him back alive."

Sam barely waited until he was gone before she grabbed a pen and pad, writing down the supplies she would need, balancing that need with what she could carry. As she wrote, she acknowledged to herself that she and the colonel would return - sans Ba'al or neither would come back at all.

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel paced, impatiently checking his watch. "What the hell did you do, take the stairs?" he muttered, tapping his foot. The elevator door opened and he perked up, almost tackling Sam as she stepped out, a small container in her hand. 

She took a quick step back, clutching the container to her chest. "Daniel, what are you doing?" she asked, frowning at him.

"Waiting for you," he said, falling into step beside her as they walked down the corridor.   
"Where'd you go?"

"I had to run a little errand." She shifted the container and looked at her watch. "It's 2324, what are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he repeated, following her into her lab. She set the package down on her bench and he looked around, unable to miss the small pile of supplies in the corner. So Siler's info had been right. "You aah, you going somewhere?"

She turned to look at him. "I think you already know the answer to that," she said, challenging him.

"Yeah, I think I do." He moved closer, crossing his arms over his chest. "I ran into Jacob today."

She looked down and he was glad to see that her face colored a bit. "Daniel-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, giving into his anger.

"Because I didn't know for sure," she said.

"Jacob had pictures. How much more 'sure' do you need to be?" he demanded.

"What's your point?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Daniel paused for a second, taken aback by her challenge and the closed off nature of her face. "When are we leaving?" he asked.

"WE'RE not," she said, accentuating the word. "I am leaving in a few hours."

"Excuse me?"

"What's so hard to understand?" She busied herself, moving around the room. "I am going on a mission, you are not."

"Why not?" he asked, letting his frustration show. Her behavior made no sense at all. He would have expected her to come running to him, eager to share the news of Jack's unexpected survival. Instead she had treated it almost like a secret, something to keep hidden. In fact, if he hadn't have run into Jacob, he never would have known.

"Because you're not," she said, glaring at him. "Daniel, I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm going, you're not, get over it."

Daniel stared for a second, put off by her oddly cold and terse tone. "Fine," he bit out, recognizing that he'd get no more information from her. "Be a bitch," he said. He spun on his heel, ignoring the fact that his words were uncalled for.

If he'd learned nothing else from Jack, it was that there was more than one way to skin a cat, and that nothing, no matter how secret, happened on a military base without at least half a dozen folks knowing about it.

He just needed to find himself another source. He stalked down the hall, cursing both the late hour and the recent changes in personnel. He regretted Sergeant Davis' death. The unassuming man, in his position as General Hammond's Aide de Camp, had been an invaluable source of information. He never broke any rules or revealed anything he shouldn't, but Davis certainly had his finger on the pulse of the base and often made the control room the epicenter of the base gossip mill. 

But that option was no longer available to him . Sergeant Keliher, General Landry's aide, was a very efficient and personable woman, but she was tight lipped to a fault. No, he probably couldn't get any information from any of the base personnel. They were all too gun shy from the recent and current rounds of investigations.

But there was someone on the base that didn't care about investigations. Making up his mind in an instant he altered his course, abandoning the futility of the lower levels for the promise of the VIP rooms. He would find out what was going on, if it took him all night to do it.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam hefted her pack, smiling her thanks at Siler for the ride. It was an odd feeling, to go on a mission some other way than through the gate. But the fact that her father's ship was parked at Peterson AFB, and her need for a ride, necessitated the unusual action.

It was an even odder feeling to be going on a mission alone, but it had to be this way. At least as far as she was concerned. If she went alone, then only she would bear responsibility for her actions.

"Over here," Jacob said, seeming to appear from nowhere as he opened the door to the Teltac. 

Sam made her way over to him. Once she got close she could see other signs of the ship's presence, a fine sheen of dew seeming to float in mid air, and crushed grass under the ship. "Good morning," she smiled. She held up a small bag. "We hit the drive thru on the way over," she explained, handing him the paper bag holding some of her father's favorite pastries, donuts from the newly built Krispy Kreme.

"You just made Selmac's day," he said, taking the treats from her.

"Your symbiote's a sugar junkie?" she asked, stowing her supplies in a corner of the ship.

"Among other things," he said, closing the hatch and making his way over to the pilot's seat. "You ready?"

Sam nodded and sat beside him. "Yeah." She looked at her watch. "We only have about ten more minutes in our window anyway." Given that they had to orchestrate the teltac's ascent with that of local airline and other traffic, they had a short window in which to take off, a period of time when a squadron of fighter planes were taking off from a runway a short distance away. It was hoped that the sound of the jets would disguise the roar the Teltac made as it disrupted the air.

He nodded and manipulated the controls, starting the engine and lifting the craft off the ground. "How long until we get to Ba'al's planet?" she asked as they climbed in altitude.

"We have a little side trip first," he said, staring out the window as the sky faded to dark blue and then black. He glanced over at her. "I got a message from the High Council last night. I need to go take care of something else."

"What?" she asked, alarmed. "What else do you need to take care of?"

"We were contacted by an informant yesterday. He says that he has some important information about Cronos and Yu. Information that he'll only give to me."

"Surely it can wait," Sam said.

"Sam, believe it or not, there's a lot more at stake in the universe than the fate of one human," he said. "Your mission isn't scrubbed. I just need to get off on a nearby planet and gate to the rendezvous. You can keep the ship."

Despite herself, Sam gulped. Alone? She was going to do this alone? Yeah, she had put Daniel off and certainly hadn't told Teal'c but…she hadn't thought that she'd be totally alone. In fact, she'd counted on her dad being there. She hoped that he could accept the decision that she'd have to make. "Great," she said softly, trying to hide her insecurities. Not that it really mattered, they were past the point of no return anyway. She was afraid that, if she went back to the SGC, that Landry would find some reason to scrub the mission.

"Yeah, I wasn't too fond of it either," Jacob said, glancing over at her. "Which is why you're gonna cut your dad some slack."

Sam looked at him, the tone of his voice setting off little alarm bells in her brain. "What did you do?" she asked.

"He got you some backup." Sam turned and stared at Daniel and Teal'c, both of which stood just outside the entrance to the cargo part of the ship.

"Damnit, Daniel," she moaned. 

"Sam, you can't do this by yourself," he said, stepping forward.

Sam glanced over at Jacob. "He's right. There's no way you can deal with a fully blended goa'uld by yourself," he said.

Sam sighed, pushing her fingers through her hair. She was touched by their gesture, honestly and truthfully touched. But they'd also just complicated things beyond belief. She knew what she had to do. And she knew that it'd be the most difficult thing she'd ever done. And it was going to be even more difficult if she had to do it while also dealing with Daniel and Teal'c.

They wouldn't understand. She looked at Teal'c, standing dark and silent behind Daniel. He might. But Daniel wouldn't. "You still only have one cloak," Sam said, turning to her father. "And even if you had more, they couldn't use it."

"We kept that?" Daniel asked. "I thought Yu and Cronos wanted to take it with them."

"Cronos was too busy being injured and Yu…well the colonel distracted Yu and we kinda…forgot to give it back to them," Sam said, smiling a bit as she remembered their little subterfuge of that day. One quick sleight-of-hand and they had in their possession a piece of technology that even the System Lords didn't even know existed.

"Sam's gonna use it to infiltrate Ba'al's compound and get Jack," Jacob said.

"In our original plan, Dad was going to hang out and keep out of sight until I incapacitated the colonel. He'd then help me get him into the Teltac," Sam explained.

"We can do that," Daniel said. 

"Daniel, I don't want to take on the whole palace," Sam protested. "In fact, it would be best if they never know that the Tau'ri were involved."

"Of what do you speak?" Teal'c asked.

Sam sighed softly. "The only way General Landry could get permission for us to do this is if we insure that the goa'uld never know that it was the Tau'ri who are behind it."

"Wouldn't it make sense that we'd want to rescue Jack?" Daniel asked.

"And if Ba'al's allies know what we've done, wouldn't it make sense that they'd take retribution on us?" Sam shot back.

"'Skittish' is an understatement," Jacob said, glancing over his shoulder. "Before they verified my identity, they were scrambling fighter jets." He nodded his head and Selmac came to the fore. "The people of Earth are most mindful of their tenuous position in the universe," she said. "The recent attack will have ramifications beyond the most obvious physical repairs."

"Ok," Daniel said. "We'll do it stealthy." Sam raised her eyebrows at his choice of words. "We can do stealth."

Jacob shot him a look, but wisely chose not to respond. "I've programmed in the closest planet with a gate that I can use. It's about eighty-six light years from Ba'al's home world. You guys can drop me off and be there in a few hours. At that time, it would be best if you landed the cloaked ship a short distance from the palace. Sam can use the personal cloak and go get Jack."

"I shall accompany her," Teal'c said. "Major Carter does not possess the physical strength to adequately transport a resistant host."

"He brought his armor," Daniel said.

"Sounds like a plan," Jacob said, forestalling any of Sam's protests. 

She shrugged, surrendering herself to the inevitable. It wasn't like she could turn the Teltac around and drop them off. "I'm gonna go check the supplies," she said, pushing herself out of the chair. 

Reaching the relative privacy of the cargo hold, she took a second and leaned against the wall. "You're just gonna have to make sure you don't have to use plan B," she muttered.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Teal'c slid the chain mail over his chest, fumbling a bit as he struggled to thread the leather tabs into their catch. Falling back on the lessons of the therapist, he used the stump of his left arm to assist in fastening the armor.

His difficulty with the most simple of tasks was simply one of the burdens that his present state placed upon him. Finishing with the chain mail, he reached for his breast plate and settled it over his shoulders. In the main part of the Teltac, he could hear Daniel Jackson and Major Carter conversing. He took a deep breath, denying the surge of annoyance he felt at hearing the woman's voice. He cared little for her plans or ideas. His only concern was to liberate O'Neill from his captivity, and if such a task necessitated being in her presence, it was a trial he was willing to forebear. 

He fastened the breast plate and cowl, twisting his body awkwardly to accomplish his task. In truth, he found many elements of his current situation unacceptable. He was not bothered by the scars on his face. The damage to a warrior's body was something that a warrior accepted. It was a mark and badge of honor to be so marred. It often spoke of the warrior's ability to survive.

The loss of his eye was a mere annoyance. He did find it true that the limit of his vision was a weakness, however he also found that his awareness to and perception of auditory clues was augmented - an augmentation that permitted him to compensate for his inferior vision.

It was the loss of his hand that he found most onerous. The simplest tasks were now more difficult. He had to learn to eat, to bathe, even to dress himself again. And he discovered that he did not enjoy such a level of dependence upon others. It was not a level of humiliation he would have to endure had he been permitted to perish as a warrior.

He reached for his gauntlet and slid it carefully over his stump, manipulating it a bit to force it to accommodate the swollen and mangled flesh protected only by a tan wrapping. "Are you almost ready?" Major Carter asked from behind him.

He reached for his right gauntlet and stopped, realizing that he'd made yet another error. He could not grasp the item with his right hand and place it upon said appendage at the same time. He gritted his teeth, realizing that he would need to remove his left gauntlet so that he could use his stump to assist in putting his right gauntlet on. "Let me-" She stepped towards him, her hands outstretched in a gesture to assist him.

"Do not!" he bit out, stepping back. She stopped, a shocked expression playing across her face. "I do not require your assistance," he said, indulging himself in his anger. He was not helpless and did not need to be dressed like a child.

"Fine," she said, altering her stance and crossing her arms over her chest. He glared at her for a second, then turned his attention back to his task, carefully removing the left gauntlet, sliding the other one over his right wrist, then replacing the left one.

Once he was finished, he retrieved his staff weapon from where it was leaning against the wall and stood before her. "I am prepared now."

She nodded. "Teal'c, thank you," she said.

"I do not do this for your benefit," he said. "I am here to assist O'Neill. And to protect him from ANY that would do him harm."

He stared at her for a few moments, daring her to look away. When she did not, he stalked past her, deliberately walking close enough to force her to take a step back.

He stepped out into the main area of the small ship and stood beside the control console, taking a second to glance out the small view screen. Their ship was parked in a small clearing, shaded by the trees. "The palace is about a mile that way," Daniel Jackson said, glancing over his shoulder. "There's a small grouping of houses on the other side. That's probably where the workers live."

"How about the palace?" Major Carter asked, joining them.

"Sensors show about thirty life signs. Most of them Jaffa."

"Fifteen to one. We've had worse odds," she said.

"This is probably the throne room," Daniel said, bringing up a graphic. "I doubt you'll want to confront him there."

"He will eventually retire to his chambers," Teal'c said. "If we are fortunate, he will retire alone," Teal'c said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Major Carter said. "Daniel, keep your ear on the radio. Chances are we'll need a retrieval."

Daniel nodded. "Give me the word and I can be in the air and there in ten minutes," he said, glancing back at the controls. "Presuming I remember how to fly this thing."

"Funny," Major Carter said, rolling her eyes. She glanced out the view screen. "It's almost sunset. If we go now, we should make it to the palace before dark. Hopefully, Ba'al goes to bed early. Teal'c, are you ready?"

"I am," he said.

"Then let's go catch ourselves a goa'uld."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam walked slowly down the corridor, unable to suppress the urge to duck out of sight. She knew that the cloak was working, Teal'c had reassured her and, even as much as he didn't like her at the moment, she trusted that he wouldn't risk the mission for the sake of some revenge.

Teal'c marched beside her, his face concealed by a stolen helmet. Fortunately, the palace seemed rather quiet, the halls sparsely populated. "The throne room is approximately ten meters ahead," he said softly.

"Maybe we should hang-"

Three figures appeared at the end of the hall and Sam broke off, both shutting up and moving to the wall. The cloak might make her invisible but it could not alter the fact that she still took up space. Even if they couldn't see her, anyone who bumped into her could still feel her.

Teal'c moved to the other side of the hall and slipped behind a partitioned wall. Sam stared as the trio walked past them, her eyes riveted on the figure in the front. The colonel was dressed far fancier than she would ever have imagined him. Black boots and black pants were worn with a long velvet coat, liberally decorated with golden threads and brocade. The ruffles of a white silk shirt peeked out from behind an embroidered vest. He looked like a hero off the cover of a bad romance novel. He was flanked by two large Jaffa, both men heavily armed and intimidating. 

She waited until the trio disappeared around the corner before joining Teal'c, making sure that she was behind the false wall before she disengaged the cloak. "The intel was right," she said.

"He is indeed alive," Teal'c confirmed.

"Do you think those guards stay with him all the time?" she asked.

"Perhaps outside his chambers," Teal'c said. "Most goa'uld, even those who enjoy exhibitionism, prefer to exhibit their predilections to a worthy audience." He looked over at her. "Jaffa are not deemed worthy."

"If those two guards are going to be outside his chambers, how do we get in?"

"Many goa'uld employ the use of hidden tunnels or passages. It is not only a way to escape attack but to also facilitate private rendezvous," he said.

"Can you find a passage?" she asked.

"I can."

She nodded. "Ok, we'll do it that way. It might work out better. If we can take him down fast enough, we could make it back to the ship before they even know he's missing."

"Indeed."

"Ok, I'll reactivate the cloak and follow you." She pressed the button on the ribbon device and felt a slight tingly feeling wash over her skin, signaling that the cloak was active. She fell into step behind Teal'c, doing all she could to keep up with his long stride while also making as little noise as possible. He led her down the main hall and turned into a narrow off shoot. This hallway was narrow and dark, the torches spaced so widely apart that there were deep pools of darkness between them.

As she walked, she distracted herself by noticing that she cast no shadow. Despite the fact that she still took up space and could be felt, light was bent around her in such a way to make it appear that it was passing straight through her. She should study that, figure out exactly how the light bending properties of the cloak worked. Maybe she could replicate it-

"Here," Teal'c whispered, drawing Sam's attention back to the here and now. "This should lead into Ba'al's chambers."

He pointed out a narrow door, one far different from the ornate 'public' entrance to the goa'uld's private rooms. "Is it locked?" Sam asked.

He shook his head. "Unlikely. A goa'uld has no need for such a security measure within the safety of his own palace."

Sam nodded. "So their arrogance might play into our hands," she said softly, deactivating the cloak.

"You will be able to incapacitate him?" he asked.

She nodded again, drawing a small pistol from the small of her back. "Janet helped me mix this up. She actually based it on the first experiments we did on Junior. It's a very fast acting and potent sedative. It should take him down in about ten seconds. If it doesn't work, that's what the zat is for," she said, forcing a confident tone into her voice. Yes, she definitely wanted to retrieve the colonel. But she also knew just how powerful a goa'uld could be. He could very easily overpower her. In fact, he could very easily overpower Teal'c. Her only advantage lay in catching him by surprise.

He nodded. "This is perhaps better done sooner rather than later," he said. "Every moment that we delay increases our chances of being discovered."

"Yeah," she agreed. She activated the cloak and waited for Teal'c to manipulate the controls, opening the door. She slipped inside and heard him close the door behind her.   
Fortunately, the door was concealed behind an ornate wooden partition, the heavily carved panels concealing the door from easy view while allowing a glimpse into the chamber.

Ba'al's private rooms reminded Sam of something between Buckingham Palace and one of Saddam's palaces. The room was large, perhaps thirty feet square. The walls were covered with dark wooden paneling and elaborate hangings, providing splashes of gold, red and white against the mahogany colored wood.

The floor was wooden, wide planks stained the same dark color as the wall. There were several small and medium sized rugs scattered around the room, some of them looking like animal skins while others reminded Sam of Persian rugs, intricately woven and patterned.

A large canopied bed dominated one wall, it's copious and creamy white satin sheets standing out starkly against the dark wooden floor and walls. The bed was piled high with fluffy pillows and heavy ornate drapes hung at the corners. Sam guessed that they were meant to be drawn at night, to protect the sleeper from drafts.

A large fireplace was across from the bed, it's mantle made from shiny black marble and about six feet off the ground. The hearth was so large that Sam figured that three full grown men could stand in it. Two chairs sat in front of the fireplace, a small table with a tray between them. On that tray she could see a crystal decanter and a pair of goblets.

There was a large armoire in the corner and another table, this one obviously meant to be work space stood in another corner. Several scrolls were scattered on the surface of the table, along with a bottle of ink and a small jar of feathered quills.

A flash of movement caught her eyes and Sam turned her attention to the last corner of the room and the figure stepping across the threshold. Ba'al didn't walk in from the large double door into the hall, but another, much smaller doorway and Sam could only guess that it was the bathroom. Or whatever the goa'uld equivalent of a bathroom was.

Squinting slightly, Sam could see the faint sheen of moisture on his face, which confirmed that that room had at least a passing resemblance to a bathroom. He walked slowly across the room, sliding off his velvet jacket as he walked. He tossed the jacket negligently onto the bed then crossed to the fire place, claiming one of the chairs.  
As Sam watched, he poured himself a drink, a large golden ring on his finger glinting in the fire light.

She slowly crept out of the alcove, doing the best she could to minimize the sound of her footsteps. She drew closer and closer, her heartbeat increasing with each step. She watched him take a drink, slowly sipping what she could only guess was wine. He leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. She needed to get a good shot, and she couldn't do that from the back.

She edged around towards the fireplace, enjoying the warmth from the fire. He moved and she froze, gasping softly as he set down the goblet and got to his feet. He tossed another log onto the fire, taking a moment to watch the flames. Sam raised the pistol, taking aim at his thigh. She and Janet had agreed that the large expanse of muscle of the upper leg was the perfect place to aim the darts at since there was little chance that it could be deflected by a bone.

Her finger tightened on the trigger as he spun, a blast from his ribbon device sending her flying across the room. She landed hard, sliding into the table and chairs. The wind knocked out of her, she struggled to get to her feet as he stalked towards her, his left hand raised, the center stone of his ribbon weapon glowing menacingly. 

Sam tried to move away, frowning when she saw his eyes following her. She realized in an instant that the impact had damaged her cloak in some way and that she was visible.   
She raised the pistol and fired, the dart bouncing harmlessly off his personal shield. "One reason you never deserved command," he said, his voice echoing menacingly. "Tunnel vision, my dear major."

Sam tried to get away, struggling to get her feet back under her. She couldn't move fast enough and he reached down, digging his hand into the collar of her jacket and pulling her to her feet. "Did you not think that I would sense your presence? You and your pet Jaffa. I thank you for bringing him to me. The other System Lords will pay most highly to witness his execution." Sam struggled against him, her fingernails digging ineffectually into his hands as he lifted her up until her feet could not touch the floor. He raised his left hand, the ribbon weapon flaring into life. "This is beyond my wildest dreams. Not only can I enjoy my pleasure in your pain, but I can revel in my host's as well."

The device activated and Sam cried out, the beam tearing like liquid fire through her brain.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel drummed his fingers on the console, resisting the urge to check his watch for the fifteenth time. "Come on, guys," he muttered. What the hell was taking them so long? The palace, while large, wasn't that big. And he doubted that Jack - Ba'al - would be that hard to find. Discretion was definitely not a virtue the goa'uld possessed.

His stomach churned at the thought of Jack as a goa'uld. He couldn't even imagine the horror, being trapped in your own body. Sam knew. Her time with Jolinar had given her first hand experience of what it felt like to be possessed. But she never talked about it. At least not to him. He thought that she'd talked to Jack a bit, and knew that she'd talked to Teal'c, especially after their time in Shyla's mine and the odd exhaustion- wrought flashbacks Sam had experienced. But she'd never spoken to him beyond saying that it was something she never wanted to experience again.

Jolinar was such a turning point in her life and, as much of a nightmare as the other reality had been, there were times when Daniel wondered if this one wasn't worse. Instead of coming home to a 'not perfect but his' reality, he'd instead come home to a place almost as bad as the one he'd left. 

Teal'c had been horribly maimed, his left eye and hand destroyed in the attack while Sam was a shadow of her former self. Between the stress of cleaning up the aftereffects of the attack and dealing with the investigations, he really hadn't seen her much since he'd gotten back. She always seemed to be busy or gone or somewhere.

And Teal'c. Teal'c had spent most of the past six months learning how to do the simplest things. From tying his shoes to bathing himself to cutting his meat, he had to re-learn how to do all of those things and more while using only one hand.

Daniel knew that he found such it incredibly difficult. More than once, Daniel had borne witness when Teal'c frustration won out over his normal reserve. He hated feeling weak and hated depending on others, and Daniel knew that hate was hampering his recovery.

There were times when Daniel found Teal'c's situation probably more frustrating than Teal'c did. He wanted to help his friend but he didn't know how. Teal'c certainly didn't like it when people helped him, but it pained Daniel to just sit there and watch him struggle.

Feeling the need to vent some frustration, Daniel got to his feet and started to pace the small confines of the Teltac. He didn't like this. Didn't like cowering here like some useless waste of space while Sam and Teal'c were out there trying to kidnap a goa'uld all on their own.

The proximity alert beeped and Daniel spun, hurrying back to the control console. He threw himself down in the chair and studied the readings, his heart jumping when he caught sight of a Jaffa moving towards the door.

He saw the Jaffa prop his staff weapon against the invisible hull and relaxed, realizing that it was Teal'c. It him in an instant, Teal'c was alone. Daniel pushed the buttons to open the door and got to his feet, meeting Teal'c. "What happened?" he demanded, barely letting get in the door. "Where are Sam and Jack?"

Teal'c leaned his staff weapon against the bulkhead. "Ba'al was aware of our presence. He set a trap, which Major Carter fell victim to. She is his prisoner."

"What?" Daniel asked, horrified. "We have to go do something."

"What do you suggest that we do?" he asked. 

"I don't…Teal'c, we can't just do nothing."

"Of that I am aware, however I do not know of a viable option at the moment."

"Why didn't you do something?" Daniel challenged, Teal'c's sour attitude towards Sam giving him pause. He wouldn't have left her behind, would he? Would Teal'c let whatever he had against Sam color his judgment on a mission? Was that why Sam hadn't wanted to include them?

Teal'c glared at him. "Ba'al was aware of my presence as well. He instructed his Jaffa to attempt to capture me. I could not safely remain in the palace and felt it would be better if I were to bring word of Major Carter's capture to you." He sighed softly. "While I no longer consider Major Carter to be blood kin, my ire does not cloud my judgment. Our only hope to liberate O'Neill rests with you and I remaining free and able to implement another plan."

"You're right," Daniel conceded. "And you did the right thing." He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. "What can we do now?"

"It will be difficult to attain entrance now. And, while it is possible that the palace possesses some sort of external hidden entrances, I do not believe that we shall have the time to adequately explore."

"Ok, so we can't sneak in. What would you do?" Daniel asked, falling back on Teal'c's superior tactical knowledge. His friend had been planning raids and invasions for longer than Daniel had been alive. And his tactical knowledge rivaled Jack's. Which meant that he might be the only one to outsmart Jack now.

"If I were still First Prime of Apophis, I would attack from orbit. Use a hatak ship to confuse and frighten while I used the rings to transport a cadre of heavily armed Jaffa to lead a ground assault," Teal'c said.

"Don't think that's an option," Daniel said wryly.

"Indeed."

"One of O'Neill's favorite tactics would perhaps be the most expeditious," he said. "Use a diversionary tactic to distract the Jaffa whilst one of us infiltrates the palace again, likely using the Teltac to ring directly into and out of his chambers."

"It's A plan," Daniel admitted grudgingly. "And I doubt we have the time or resources to come up with something better."

"We do not," Teal'c said. "In fact it would be best if we were to move this Teltac. Since Ba'al knows that I am here, and knows that we did not enter via the chaappai, thus he will discern that we journeyed here via a ship. A ship that he shall search for."

"But we're cloaked?"

"Technology that O'Neill is familiar with. Thus, technology that Ba'al is familiar with. He shall search for us. Likely using the same technology that Earth has used to defeat cloaking devices."

"We can't just leave," Daniel protested. "He has Sam."

"I do not believe that Ba'al will kill Major Carter. Not in the immediate future." He walked past Daniel and sat down in the pilot's chair. "We shall take flight to elude discovery and return in a couple hours time." The engines fired up and the ship took off, sliding into the night sky. "Ba'al will expect an immediate reaction from us. Waiting will lure him into a false sense of security and shall make our next attempt more likely to succeed."

Daniel sighed and sank down in the co-pilot's chair. "I hope you're right," he said. "And if you're wrong, I hope Sam's alive for you to explain it to."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Ba'al lowered his hand and smiled, watching as the female fell to the floor. "So weak," he said, giving her a negligent kick in the thigh. She moaned softly and curled into herself. "This host has always known that about you. You're weak. Do you have any idea how many times he was forced to compensate for your weaknesses?" Ba'al slowly walked around her, the fingers of his right hand caressing the warm stone of the ribbon weapon in his left hand. 

"He hated that, you know. Hated that you were weak, but he could do nothing about it. He was forced to have you on his team and despised every moment of it."

She did not respond beyond a soft moan and Ba'al kicked her again, striding back to the fireplace. He picked up the goblet of wine and quaffed it in one gulp, pouring more from a carafe. He walked slowly back over to the female, taking a moment to savor the impotent rage of his host. The man was angry. No more than angry, he was enraged. Enraged and sickened. And Ba'al could not think of something he would enjoy more.   
This human vexed him. Even after all these months, the human still raged at him. Calling him the most annoying of names. Some of which were so creative that Ba'al had been forced to delve into the human's memories to fully understand the insults. 

He slowly walked past the female and into the bathing chamber, indulging himself in a quick study of his host. This human was not as fine as his previous host. That host had been selected specifically for his build and coloring. Over the centuries Ba'al had discovered that he had a marked preference for hosts with a more swarthy appearance. 

This human, even accounting for his age, was fit enough. And, while his appearance did not meet Ba'al's own standards, it was bearable. At least until a new host could be procured.

He returned to the female, taking a sip of the sweet red wine as he studied her. It was unfortunate that he did not wish to be in a female form. Hers was suitable. And any physical imperfections were more than compensated by the knowledge she possessed in her brain.

"I should find you a symbiote," he said, squatting down at her side. "My host remembers that you did not find your time with the Tok'ra pleasant. That will not be so with a goa'uld. A symbiote would compensate quite well for your weaknesses and shortcomings."

"I'll die first," she whispered, barely opening her eyes. She attempted to move away from him and Ba'al laughed, her weak, uncoordinated movements humorous.

"Such spirit," he chuckled, reaching out one hand to thread his fingers through her hair, forcing her to look up at him. "I must choose a goa'uld most carefully. It is unfortunate that Hathor is dead. I believe one of her children would suit you." He sighed. "But she is not the only queen in the universe. I should acquire one. It is time for me to add to my ranks." He released her head and got to his feet. "However, I fear that what little beauty you possess will be faded by the time the child is old enough to properly take you as host. I am afraid that I shall just have to find a symbiote. You do understand, don't you my dear? The good of the many. Isn't that the platitude you and your kind prefer?"

She didn't respond and he shook his head, draining the goblet of wine. Not only was she weak, she was infuriating, barely doing more than to moan or whimper when he used the ribbon weapon on her. Her behavior was unacceptable. It was so much more enjoyable when his guests struggled and fought instead of meekly closing their eyes. The only enjoyable aspect was that each time he harmed the female, it angered his host.

An idea occurred to him and he returned to her, carelessly letting the goblet drop to the floor. He knelt beside her and roughly grabbed her hair. She cried out softly as he forced her head back while his left hand raised, the stone in his palm glowing to life. 'Yes, Jack,' he drawled internally. 'I can kill her. And you will not be able to stop me. Every time you fight me, I will harm her.'

He felt his host's anger swell and he lowered his left hand, instead wrapping his fingers around her throat. 'You shall not only witness her perish, you shall feel it," he threatened, squeezing slightly. 'And once I kill her, I shall resurrect her and kill her again and again and again." He still felt his host's anger, but this time it was mixed with dread and fear. 'Perhaps I shall even give her to my Jaffa. It is doubtful that she shall survive more than two or three of them but…I always have my sarcophagus."

His host relented, fading submissively into the background and Ba'al smiled. "I have just discovered your value, my dear." He loosened his grip and she gasped for breath, coughing roughly. The door to his chamber burst open and Ba'al shot to his feet, his left hand rising instinctively.

"Forgive me, my lord," Herak said, kneeling submissively just inside the doorway.

"I am not to be disturbed!" Ba'al roared.

"We are attacked," he said quickly. "Explosions rock the outer walls."

"Who dares attack me?" Ba'al demanded, stepping over the female.

"I do not know, My Lord. We have detected no ships."

"It is likely the human's companions. Do not divide our forces. Withdraw to the palace."

"Yes, My Lord." Herak got to his feet and hurried from the room. 

Ba'al shook his head and stalked angrily across the room. "Fools, I am surrounded by fools!" he ranted. He cursed himself for not immediately killing the Jaffa when he first saw him. He knew what the Jaffa was doing. "Do not get your hopes up, my dear." He turned to face her. "Teal'c will not-" He broke off, his eyes widening at the sight of the female kneeling on the floor, a pistol in her grip. He stared at her, noticing her shaking hands and pain marred face. "Surely you do not believe that you can harm me?" 

Her eyes narrowed and he saw her fingers clench, squeezing off two shots in quick succession. Two bullets tore into his host's chest, the shock and pain supplanting his ability to mask the feelings. 

Ba'al felt his knees buckle and he fell, landing hard on the wooden floor. He struggled to breath, his bullet damaged lungs filling with blood. He stared as the woman staggered over to him, her gait halting and unsteady.

She stood over him, her pistol aimed unerringly at his head. He wanted to stop her but he could not. His arms and legs would not obey his commands. His breath gurgled in his throat and he coughed, recognizing the bitter taste of blood spilling across his tongue and down his chin.

"I'm sorry," she said, blinking to clear tears from her eyes. Her finger again tightened on the trigger and Ba'al tensed, waiting for the killing shot. A brilliant white light washed over him and he knew no more.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c felt the effects of the stun grenade fade and he checked the corridor, ascertaining that the blast had gone unobserved before he re-entered the room, his zat weapon armed and ready.

Both Major Carter and O'Neill lay crumpled on the floor and Teal'c approached them, seeking to confirm his first impression. O'Neill was prone, one arm resting on his hip. Noticing the dark stain on his clothes, Teal'c tore open the man's shirt, revealing a pair of gunshot wounds. "Hataka," he muttered, torn between empathy for his friend and rage at his injuries.

Teal'c reached over and quickly stripped the ribbon weapon off O'Neill's left arm, shoving it into his vest. He had neither the time or supplies to dress the man's wounds. He could only hope that Ba'al's own sense of survival would also save the host.

Teal'c turned to Major Carter, noting the angry red marks around her neck. He had no doubt that her time with Ba'al had been far from pleasant. Her handgun was lying just inches from her hand and he picked it up, also shoving it into his vest.

"Teal'c? How's it going?"

"One moment," he said into the radio.

Realizing that time was of the essence, he picked Major Carter up, slinging her over his left shoulder, trusting that she had no injuries that he was exacerbating. Even if she did, there was little that he could do about it at the moment.

Grunting with the effort, he got to his feet and returned to O'Neill's side. He bent down and dug the fingers of his right hand into the back of the man's collar. He dragged him across the floor, struggling a bit with his burden. Stunning both of them had not been the preferred outcome, rather one born in an instant of rage upon witnessing Major Carter ready to commit murder.

Hearing the sound of Jaffa approaching, he hurried more, moving as quickly as he could while weighed down by the weight of two people. Arriving at the rings, he released O'Neill and reached for his radio. "Daniel Jackson, we are ready."

"I'm not, hang on." Teal'c could hear the stress in the man's voice and could only guess that he was encountering resistance.

Having no other choice, Teal'c knelt down, laying Major Carter onto the floor beside O'Neill. He pulled her weapon out of his vest and carefully removed the clip, holding it between the stump of his arm and his chest.

Seeing that he had several bullets left, he pushed the clip back into the gun and got to his feet. He could hear the cries of the Jaffa and knew that they had discovered their master's empty chamber. He wanted to radio Daniel Jackson and impress upon him the need for urgency. However he would have to relinquish control of the weapon to do so. 

He heard the pounding of the Jaffa's footsteps coming down the hall and he tensed, readying himself for battle. "KREE!" he heard as two Jaffa appeared at the junction of the hall. Teal'c fired off two shots, kneeling to make himself a smaller target as the Jaffa fired their staff weapons at him.

He returned fire, aware that his ammunition was limited. He struck one of the men and he fell, only to be replaced by a third and fourth. The weapon clicked, signaling that the magazine was empty and he dropped it, pulling his zat out of his vest. He fired, well aware that he had only moments before he was overwhelmed.

A staff blast tore past his right ear and Teal'c lowered his head, firing at and killing the Jaffa. Just then the rings swept up, shielding him from further fire. In just seconds, the rings swept back down and he was on the teltac. He felt the ship cant and tilt and was aware that Daniel Jackson was leaving the planet with all due haste. 

Trusting in Daniel Jackson's piloting skills, Teal'c returned the zat to his vest and quickly made his way over to their supplies, digging for and returning with a handful of plastic zip ties. He restrained O'Neill, using several ties to secure both his hands and legs. The ship jolted and Teal'c recognized the sensation of a jump to hyperspace.

Within seconds, Daniel Jackson was at his side. "What the hell happened?" Daniel Jackson asked. 

"Given that there were only two individuals in the room, I would presume that Major Carter shot O'Neill," Teal'c said, finishing restraining O'Neill. He got to his feet and retrieved the first aid kit from their supplies. As he returned to O'Neill he saw Daniel Jackson go to Major Carter's side, examining her.

"I think she's just stunned," he said, feeling for her pulse.

"That is most likely," Teal'c agreed. He dressed the seeping wounds acknowledging that there was little they could do for him beyond stabilizing O'Neill's condition. With O'Neill secured and his wounds dressed, Teal'c got to his feet. ""What course did you choose?" he asked, ready to resume the role of pilot.

Daniel Jackson looked up at him sheepishly. "The only course I could remember was Abydos," he admitted.

Teal'c raised his eyebrows. "Abydos is several days' flight from our current position."

"I know. But I didn't think we'd stay on the course for long." He shrugged. "I figured it was better than nothing."

Teal'c sighed softly. "I shall go correct our course then." He got to his feet. "Do NOT release O'Neill, " he warned. 

"I know," Daniel Jackson said. "He's still Ba'al. And he will still be Ba'al until they get that thing out of his head."

"Indeed," Teal'c confirmed. He made his way to the pilot's chair and took a seat, examining the controls before he altered their course.

They might have been successful in their audacious plan to retrieve O'Neill, however he knew that the most difficult test was yet to come. And he feared that, if they failed, it perhaps would have been kinder to have allowed Major Carter to pull the trigger.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel checked Jack one more time, relieved to find the man's pulse steady under his finger tips. He studied his friend, searching for some sign that he was waking up, while dreading that possibility at the same time.

Logically he knew that Ba'al was still alive and well and buried in Jack's brain. But, other than the ostentatious clothes, Jack had no outward signs of his possession. Which made it all the harder to believe that Jack was really Ba'al.

He heard a soft moan and turned his attention from Jack to Sam. "Easy," he said, reaching out to lay his hand on her shoulder. "Easy, you're ok." She blinked and opened her eyes, her breath quickening. "Teal'c had to use the stun grenade. It'll go away in a few minutes, remember?"

"Daniel?" She reached out and he caught her hand, reassuring her with his touch.

"Yeah. It's me. You're back on the teltac. Everything's fine."

She nodded. "The colonel?" she asked suddenly, seeming to remember all at once.

"He's here too. He's ok." He helped her sit up, reaching over to grab a canteen and press it into her hands.

She took it and took a small sip of water. "I shot him," she said, staring sightlessly at Daniel.

"We know. He seems to be doing ok." She nodded and pushed a shaky hand through her hair. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"What?"

"Is there anything we need to know about? Did he hurt you?" Daniel asked, not quite believing that he was asking Sam if Jack had hurt her. 

She shook her head. "I'll be ok."

"That's not what I asked," he said, reaching out to touch her again. "What did he do?"

She shook her head and sighed. "It was mostly the ribbon weapon," she confessed. "I just have a really bad headache."

"I can do something for that." He left her and reached for the med kid, pulling out a packet of pain killers. He tore the foil open and picked up her hand, pouring the pills into her palm. She smiled her thanks and tossed them into her mouth, washing them down with water from the canteen.

"I think my vision's coming back," she said, frowning as she blinked.

"Sounds about right. You should be just fine by the time we get back to Earth."

"We're going back to Earth?" she asked, raising her voice.

"That was the general idea," he said, puzzled by her alarm. 

"We can't," she said, setting down the canteen and trying to get to her feet.

"Sam, what's wrong? I thought getting Jack home was the whole reason we were doing this."

"He can't."

"Can't do what?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "As long as he's a goa'uld, he can't go back to Earth." She looked at him, although Daniel still wasn't sure if she was focusing very well. "If he goes back still a host, he'll end up at Area 51."

"Ok. This is a surprise," Daniel said. "Can I presume that you have some sort of plan?"

"Where's my stuff?" she asked.

Daniel looked around, spying her bag. "Hang on, I'll-"

"No. I gotta get it." She held out her arm and Daniel helped her to her feet, leading her over to her pack. She knelt down and he stood by her as she dug into it, finally pulling out a small box.

"The Tok'ra lending us toys now?" he asked.

She shook her head. "More like Machello."

Daniel frowned for a second, then he realized what had to be in the box and he instinctively leaned back, remembering all too well what had happened the last time he'd run across one of Machello's toys. "That's not-"

"It's the only way to get Ba'al out of Colonel O'Neill," she interrupted.

"There's ten goa'uld killers in that PTD," Daniel said. "And only one Ba'al."

"Remember what happened when Janet and I tried to study it?" she said. "All ten came out. Maybe they'll all go into Ba'al. If not, they'll go into me." She shrugged. "No harm, no foul."

"Those things went through walls last time," he reminded remembering the impotent horror he'd felt as he'd watched Jack, Janet and Sam trying - unsuccessfully - to flee from the creatures. Horror tempered with a bit of relief that it wasn't him experiencing it again.

"Not walls, just out of the containment unit," she corrected. "Going by the last time, their first instinct is to go into a person. They'll go into either the colonel or me and then you and Teal'c will be safe."

"Ok," Daniel shrugged. She'd obviously been planning this for longer than he'd realized. "What's your plan?"

"You go up front with Teal'c and lock us in here. I'll activate the PTD and Machello's little toys will do the rest."

"Lock you in here? With a goa'uld?" he asked. "How hard did you hit your head?"

Sam smiled wryly. "How many ropes did Teal'c use to tie him up?"

"Only about six zip ties," Daniel said. "Not that he's in much shape to do anything right now."

Her face fell as she remembered that she'd shot him. "How bad is it?" She pushed past him and made her way to Jack's side.

He took her arms and kept her from getting too close. "He's stable. We're guessing that Ba'al is either healing his wounds or keeping the status quo."

She closed her eyes and slumped. "So if I get Ba'al out he could die?" she said.

"Do you think he wants to live like this?" he asked. He saw defeat cross her face and he sighed. "We don't have to do this right now do we?" he asked.

"What?"

"It'll be a few hours before we get back to Earth. We just can't land if he's still blended, right?"

"Right," she nodded.

"Well, if Ba'al is keeping him alive, then I say we wait. Use those little slugs right before we land when he's just a few minutes away from help. Maybe by then, Ba'al will have even healed him."

"That could work," she said.

Daniel smiled at her. "He's not gonna go anywhere. Why don't you go grab a nap. I'll keep and eye on him and wake you up when we enter the solar system."

She nodded and turned, making her way over to a pallet in the corner. Daniel watched as she carefully set down the box then laid down on the pallet, curling up on her side. He waited a few minutes until he was sure she was asleep before making his way out into the bridge area to let Teal'c know that they couldn't land, not until Jack was 'treated'.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Ba'al lay upon the ship's floor, content to maintain the subterfuge that he was still unconscious. He could feel the steady thrum of the ship's engines and knew that the teltac was still in hyperspace. However, since he did not have an accurate assessment of how long he had been unconscious, he could not begin to estimate their position. 

He carefully shifted position, exploring the limits of the bonds securing him. They could be broken, however not without drawing attention to himself, and damaging his host rather severely.

From the front of the ship he could hear the two males conversing softly. Unfortunately, their voices were too low for even his augmented hearing to comprehend.

Behind him, he could hear the even breathing of the female, her deep respiration confirming that she still slumbered.

She had surprised him - and his host - this day. His host had underestimated her, which was why Ba'al himself had not adequately anticipated her actions.

It was not a mistake he would make again.

The female - and her companions - obviously held this host in high esteem. This was a weakness that Ba'al could exploit. Although his host was unconscious and Ba'al could not fully explore his mind, many of the memories he'd extracted before suggested that Earth was a world he could conquer, just not by brute force.

He had made an error when he'd attempted to attack the planet several months ago. Yes, Earth was vulnerable because they kept the Stargate a secret, so any defense they mounted had to be a subtle one. However, when confronted by a common enemy, the people of Earth were likely to set their differences aside and rally against the interloper.

Because of this, any attack of sheer brute force would fail and would only anger them more. Earth's population was simply too large to be controlled.

But Earth had another weakness. The governing bodies of its most powerful nations were easily manipulated and corrupted. This was how the emotions of his host's friends would come into play.

He would use them, cooperate with them to gain their trust. He would even assist them with their attacks upon the other goa'uld. Perhaps, if he was lucky, the humans would vanquish some of his enemies for him. Then, once he held their trust, he would use it, either to escape or to rise in power. He would conquer the planet, not with bombs but with words.

It would take time, many years, even decades. However, thanks to his new body, he had centuries to spend on this task. He had little doubt that they would believe him. After all, they considered the sholva a trusted friend, and all he'd done to earn such trust and devotion was to kill a few of his men. Ba'al could certainly orchestrate more than the deaths of a handful of other goa'uld.

Through his host he knew that Earth had other needs. They lusted after the riches and wealth of other planets. He could deliver that to them. All they wanted and more. As a gesture of good faith, of course.

The ship shuddered slightly and Ba'al recognized that it had dropped out of hyperspace. He heard one of the males leave the teltac, the younger one he knew, since he could not sense the Jaffa's approach.

The man walked past him pausing a second before continuing on his way to the female. "Sam?" he said softly as Ba'al heard the rustle of him shaking her. She moaned softly. "Sam. We're there."

Ba'al heard the sleeping bag rustle and the sound of the female sitting up. "Daniel?"

"Yeah, we're just inside Pluto. Teal'c wasn't sure how far out SATCOM could pick us up."

"Not until Mars maybe. But if he cloaks they won't see us at all unless they know where to look," she muttered, her voice clearing as she spoke.

"I'll just tell him to fly slow then," Jackson said, a smile in his voice. "It's time." His tone changed, going from friendly humor to seriousness in an instant.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "You better go. Lock the doors behind you."

"How are we gonna know if this works?" he asked.

"We probably won't for sure until Janet can do a scan."

"Then how will you know if they work?"

"I'm trusting Machello."

Ba'al listened to their conversation, struggling to make sense of it. It was clear that they were not returning directly to Earth. But he did not understand who this Machello was.   
He prodded at his host, forcing his way into the man's memories. There was something older, and something recent. Painful, shameful, embarrassing. Machello. Ba'al remembered an old man, a rebel from years and years ago. Cronos and Yu had captured him. Held him prisoner for years before he'd escaped. They'd hunted him. They'd been afraid of him, afraid of what he'd do.

Machello was bad. Whatever they had of his-Ba'al heard the door to the peltac close and he opened his eyes, giving up the subterfuge of sleep. "What are you going to do?" he asked, ignoring the pain in his chest and sitting up. His hands were bound tightly in front of him, as were his feet, and it limited his movement severely.

She looked over at him, clearly startled. "Of course you're awake," she muttered, looking down at the box in her hand. "Why did I even think it'd be any other way." She looked over at him, her eyes flat and cold.

He watched her walk towards him, the box held in both hands. The box wasn't very large, perhaps six inches square and was flat. "Your superiors are curious about what is out there, are they not?" he asked, tearing his gaze from the box. "They seek wealth and technology. I know where that is. I have centuries of knowledge that I can impart. Information that I know your superiors would find of value."

"I'm sure they would," she said softly, kneeling down, careful to keep out of arms reach of him. "But I think your price is a little too high."

He watched as she opened the box, carefully pulling out two wrapped items. She set one down and unwrapped the other, revealing an information tablet. A memory triggered in Ba'al's brain and he felt his heartbeat quicken. "Daniel Jackson seeks the one known as Amaunet does he not? I can lead you to her. Since Apophis' capture she has been in hiding."

"And you just happen to know where that is?" the female said, her tone mocking as she picked up the second device.

"I know more than you can even comprehend," he said. "Centuries of knowledge. My own and the memories of she who bore me and he who seeded her. Knowledge that I would willingly share."

"As long as it benefits you," she retorted, unwrapping the second device. He noticed that she was careful not to touch it with her bare hands. She looked up at him, her gaze cold. "The colonel doesn't want you in there and it's time for you to leave." She picked up the information tablet and passed the changing device over it. He stared as ten small shapes fell out of the device, cascading to the floor. She quickly got to her feet and stepped away, distancing herself from the creatures. Despite her actions, some of them swarmed towards her and she simply stood there, nonchalant at they slithered up her leg. His host's memory surfaced and he stared in horror as they swarmed towards him. "If you kill me, you will lose all access to my knowledge," he said, trying to scoot away from the creatures.

"I can deal."

"I will kill the host," he threatened.

"He'd rather die than put up with you in his brain," she retorted.

Ba'al watched helplessly as six of the creatures slithered towards him, effortlessly piercing his clothing and his skin. He felt them slide into his host, crawling under his skin as they worked their way towards him. He knew what they were. But they weren't supposed to be real. It was just a legend, a myth. It wasn't real. Couldn't be real. He was a god, nothing could kill a god.

Something tore into his body and he screamed in pain, his host's body convulsing. He fell back to the floor, unable to control the movements of his host. The creature was joined by another and a third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Each of them attacking him, pulling and tearing at his flesh.

Overwhelming anger tore through him. He forced all his waning strength into one final act of revenge. "Do you know how I breached your iris and invaded your world?" he said. He looked up and met her gaze. "Hathor took the information from you and I took it from her. Do not blame me, blame yourself."

He had a brief moment to comprehend the flash of horror across her face before he felt the creatures attack him one last time and then he knew no more.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam sat in Landry's office, her fingers drumming nervously on her knee. A flash of movement caught her eyes and she looked out the window, noticing that SG-5's briefing was over. General Landry got to his feet and walked towards his office. Sam instinctively got up, stiffening her spine as her commanding officer walked into the room. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Major. Colonel Charles' anthropologist needs a lesson in brevity." He sat down and Sam remained standing. "Sit, sit," he ordered. Sam obliged and retook her seat. "I hear that Colonel O'Neill is recovering nicely," he said, opening a file folder.

"Yes, sir. Apparently Ba'al did repair a lot of the damage. All Janet needed to do was remove the bullets. She said she's going to release him from the infirmary by the end of the week."

He nodded. "That's what she told me too." He looked up. "Congratulations on a job well done, Major," he said.

"What's going to happen to Colonel O'Neill?" she asked, ignoring his praise.

Landry shrugged. "He'll be debriefed. I should have no problem keeping the briefings here, if that's what you're worried about."

Sam nodded. "Colonel Kennedy and Colonel Maybourne will likely try to get him transferred to Area 51," she said, expressing her strongest worry. She knew that she'd played by all the rules, but she also knew that the men involved wouldn't hesitate to alter the rules to suit themselves.

"They'll have to run a mighty big load of bullshit across the President's desk. He's on Jack's side, and more than willing to call in a favor or two."

"I didn't know they were that close," Sam said.

"Jack's managed to accumulate some rather highly placed friends over the years. Along with a few enemies." He smiled wryly. "One usually cancels out the other. He'll be fine."

Sam nodded, realizing that she couldn't do very much even if he was wrong. "That's good."

"We do have another matter to discuss." Landry pulled another folder out of the pile and handed it over to her. "Your mission report," he said as Sam took it.

Sam took it and stared at the folder. "I wrote everything down, sir. Except for some of what happened in Ba'al's chambers. I'm afraid that my recollection is a bit blurry. Maybe Colonel O'Neill will remember enough to fill in the blanks."

Landry shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what happened in the teltac. And what you reported that Ba'al told you right before he died."

Sam stared at him. "Those are his exact words, sir. I know that Daniel and Teal'c weren't in there to confirm but it wasn't safe to have them in the same room with Machello's goa'uld killers. They couldn't come in until the four that were in me and the six that were in Colonel O'Neill left our bodies and died."

"I'm not doubting your recollection. I'm just doubting the need to have those words officially noted in your mission report."

"General, Congress has been investigating how Ba'al breached our iris. You've had me working on that very same problem for months," Sam said. "You said yourself that we can't re-open the SGC until we can prove that we won't have another gate breach."

Landry sighed. "That I have. And despite that, I am not going to accept this report until the facts have been verified."

"Sir?"

"For all we know, Major, Ba'al made up the story about Hathor just to get revenge before he died. I am not going to let the word of one psychopathic parasitic alien destroy the life and career of a member of this command." He got up and sat on the edge of his desk. "I read your reports on Hathor's memory devices. You could not control which memories it accessed, or how it accessed them. Therefore you are not responsible for any information she gleaned from you. And you are even less responsible for him getting his hands on information that the clean up team missed and left there for him to find."

Sam looked up at him. "General, she took knowledge that I had and Ba'al used it to attack us. Thirty-eight people died, Ba'al took the colonel as a host, Teal'c lost his hand-"

"All of which are unfortunate. But they're not your fault," he interrupted.

"General-"

"Major," he interrupted again, accentuating her rank. "You will redo your mission report and you will remove all instances of the goa'uld's opinion. It's here-say and it has no place in an official mission report. You will resubmit your mission report and if I agree with it, I will sign off on it. As soon as Jack is up to it, we'll find out exactly what method Ba'al used to breach the iris and we'll plug that hole. Since the knowledge taken from you is the only weakness, it's the only thing we need to fix. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir," Sam said softly, getting to her feet.

"Major?"

"Sir?"

"You will not talk to anyone about this. Not your teammates, not your friends. Let Ba'al's poison die with him. And you can consider that an order. What happened in the teltac, stays in the teltac," he said, smiling slightly.

Sam nodded and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her. She made her way down the hall, avoiding the gaze of all she encountered. She was humbled by Landry's actions. He was sticking his neck out for her. Risking his own career to save her own. He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to take that risk, but he did.

But his actions also angered her. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to get a free pass. Thirty-eight people were dead because of her. The SGC was still shut down because of her. Colonel O'Neill had been through six months of hell, Teal'c was maimed for life…all because of her and her weaknesses. 

She arrived at the elevator and got into the car. She chose level 19 then leaned against the wall, the folder held against her chest. She'd do it, she decided. She'd alter her report to fit Landry's standards. It might be the coward's way out, but the rational part of her brain acknowledged that, even if she confessed to the Congressional committee, she'd probably end up court-martialed and imprisoned, which wasn't exactly a future she wanted. And she'd make damn sure that the iris was impenetrable. But she also knew that she couldn't ever allow something like this to happen again. Nobody else would die because of her and her failures.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack slowly rose out of the depths of unconsciousness. He became aware of things, smells, feelings. The air was chill, caressing his bare arms like the first dip in the lake in spring.

He could smell something sharp and slightly unpleasant, but an odor that he equated with clean. Bleach and pine.

He was not alone. He could hear the soft whisper of mechanically moved air and a steady beeping of a monitor. In the distance, people were talking, their voices hush and low.  
It took him a moment to realize that they were speaking English. It had been so long he'd almost forgotten what it sounded like.

And why couldn't he hear the snap and crackle of the fires? There was always a fire present. He demanded it. A fire meant wealth and power not to mention a primal comfort. And why did it not smell like incense? Everything smelled like incense. It permeated his clothes and he took the scent with him no matter where he went…no, not HE, HIM.  
These weren't his preferences, they were Ba'al's preferences.

His heart pounding in his chest, Jack felt for Ba'al, searching for his presence in the back of his brain. He was in control. That wasn't right. Jack was never in control. Ba'al wouldn't permit that. 

His inquiries encountered nothing but an empty space, a void where something once was. Where was he? Why wasn't he there? Was this some sort of trick? Some new torture, new torment to amuse himself? What the hell kind of game was he playing now?

"Colonel? Colonel?" A voice inserted itself into Jack's perception. "Colonel. I know you're awake. Your heart rate is too high for you to be asleep. I need you to open your eyes."

A warm hand grasped his cold one and squeezed gently. "Sir, open your eyes," the woman insisted, her other hand brushing the side of his face. "This is real. It's not a dream, it's not a trick. You are in the SGC and you are safe. Ba'al is dead. He's gone and I need you to open your eyes and look at me."

The hand on his face slapped him slightly, her fingers tapping his cheek. "Colonel O'Neill, I am giving you a direct order. OPEN YOUR EYES!" she said, raising her voice.  
Jack responded to her insistent pleas, forcing his eyes open. "There you are," she said, her voice gentle now. Jack blinked several times, struggling to clear his blurry vision.

A figure came into focus, female with short dark hair and a wide smile. "Doc?" he groaned, still not ready to accept what he was seeing.

"The one and only," she said. "Glad to have you back with us, sir." Jack took a deep breath and it caught in his throat when a shaft of pain cut through him. "Yeah," she said, seeing his distress. "You were shot. We had to remove the bullets. That's why you're sore. But the injuries are relatively minor. You'll feel better in a few days."

Jack nodded, only half listening to her. He looked around, his eyes searching his surroundings, looking for some flaw. There had to be a flaw. It couldn't be real.  
"What do you remember, sir?"

"What?" Jack turned his attention back to the woman.

"What do you remember?" 

Jack thought back, memories washing over him. His hand flew to the back of his neck and he met her gaze, his eyes going wide in horror as he encountered a bulge. "Doc?"

"It's dead," she said quickly, reaching out to pull his hand down. "I swear to you, it's dead. I did the scans myself."

_'You are now free of your goa'uld captor.'_

"Machello," he whispered, hearing again the ghostly voice of the old man.

Janet nodded. "Yeah, Machello. Ba'al is dead and you are home and you are going to be all right."

Jack closed his eyes, not caring about the twin trails of tears that ran down his cheeks. It was over. It was finally over.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"How the hell did you manage this?" Jack asked, gratefully sinking down on a rounded rock protruding from the dirt.

"Friends in high places," Daniel said, sitting on a rock beside Jack's. He set a large plastic bag between them and bent over, pulling out two grease stained boxes, one of which he handed to his friend.

Jack took the box and Daniel set his own aside, retrieving four small containers from the bag as well as two bottles of water. "Potato salad and baked beans I can manage, beer I can't," he said, handing Jack his share of the side dishes.

Jack shrugged and took the food. "Can't win em all I guess," he said, setting down the salads and twisting the lid off the water. He took a deep drink, then set it aside and opened his box of chicken. He pulled out a leg and raised it to his mouth, tearing off a large chunk of meat.

Daniel did the same, although he ate much slower. He took advantage of Jack's distraction to get a close look at his friend. Jack looked better than he had in the Teltac, more relaxed and definitely less arrogant. Daniel guessed that those expressions came courtesy of Ba'al. He was still a bit thin, his time in the infirmary and dealing with the aftereffects of his possession having taken a toll on his appetite. Jack was also a bit paler than Daniel was used to and there was a look in his eyes that Daniel couldn't quite put his fingers on.

He tried to equate Jack's experiences with Sam and Jolinar, but he knew that, while basically the same, they were worlds apart. "You never did do subtle," Jack said, tossing the bare bone into the bushes.

"I don't recall you being that good at it either," Daniel shot back, tossing his bone to follow Jack's.

Jack rolled his eyes and pulled out another piece of chicken. "Spit it out," he said, tearing into another chicken leg.

Daniel shrugged, not surprised by his friend's blunt request. "What was it like?" he asked, knowing full well that he was juggling a land mine but unable to stop himself.

"I had a goddamn snake crawl in my head, cart me off and hold me hostage for half a year." Jack glared balefully at him. "What do you think?"

"I mean…do you remember anything?"

"A lot," Jack said, his eyes drifting past Daniel to stare off into the distance. "I remember when it happened, getting off world…" He turned to look at Daniel. "He was in the hall you know." Daniel raised his eyebrows. "When you and I met up. That wasn't just Jaffa that were chasing you, it was his personal guard."

"Wow."

"Yeah, although that wasn't my response at the time. I didn't even know who he was. I just shot him. Hell, I thought he was dead. I remember kneeling over him. His armor was just like one of the Jaffa's. I didn't even realize he was a goa'uld until I saw the ribbon device and then it was too late."

"What happened?"

"He jumped into me. Next thing I really remember is beating my ass to the gate room and getting off-world." Jack tossed the partially eaten chicken leg into the bushes and wiped his hands off on his pants leg before reaching for the water and taking a drink.

"Sam said that she remembered a lot from Jolinar. Most of it actually," Daniel said.

Jack sighed. "Yeah, well." He shrugged. "I do remember a lot. But there are gaps." He looked over at Daniel and grimaced. "If I pissed him off he'd lock me in my room," he said.

"Huh?"

"The goa'uld can control how much a host sees and hears. After a while, bad memories are better than no memories." He took another drink and set the water down, picking up the container of baked beans. "I hear you had quite the adventure," he said, signaling an end to the conversation.

In truth, Daniel was surprised that it'd gone on this long. When he'd broached the topic, he'd expected to be totally shut out. He shrugged, accepting Jack's boundaries. "It was interesting," he said. "You, Teal'c and Lorne spent a year stuck in Hedantes-"

"Lorne?" Jack interrupted. "Who the hell is that?"

"A new guy. Quite coincidentally, he transferred here just last week," Daniel explained. "I, of course, was dead and Sam had a really crappy time because of Maybourne." His light tone faded.

"What happened to her?"

"There was no Cassie, so when she got depressed after Jolinar, they shipped her off to a 'care facility'." He made little quotes in the air. "We got marooned on Hedantes and left for dead, she spent about nine months at Area 51."

"Damn," Jack muttered.

"Yeah. I never did find out exactly what happened, she'd never talk about it. But when I arrived, Bauer was using her as a human healing device."

"She can barely control that damn thing," Jack said.

"I'm guessing that's what they worked on during those nine months. Anyway, when I broke out, I took her with me and we headed to Hedantes. Found you guys, broke you out, went to Cimmeria, got rid of Heru'ur then Thor brought us back to Earth and helped us kick some ass. When I left, people were resigning right and left and…well I'm sorta hoping that Thor can help them get rid of Kinsey and his cronies."

"So, just a normal day at the office?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Daniel chuckled. "Although I am kinda developing a complex about being dead in every universe."

"Could be worse. You could be married to me." Daniel rolled his eyes and ignored his friend's baiting. "How is Carter?" he asked, changing the subject. "I haven't seen her much since I got back."

"No one's seen her much," Daniel said. "She's been holed up in her lab since we got back." Jack nodded silently and again stared off into the distance. "Something happened between you two, didn't it?"

"Huh?"

"You…Ba'al," he corrected. "Had her prisoner for a few hours…"

"And?"

"And all she'll say is that she doesn't remember."

"Maybe she doesn't," Jack said, his voice low.

"But you do." Jack looked to him, and the pain in his eyes confirmed Daniel's suspicions. "Oh my god. You do know. What did…what did he do?"

"Something one friend should never do to another," Jack said. 

"You didn't?" Daniel asked, horrified. Teal'c had been the one to retrieve Sam and Jack, so Daniel had no idea what Teal'c had seen in Ba'al's chambers. Daniel did know that, other than a few bruises, Sam seemed to be fine. But if Ba'al had a sarcophagus he could have done horrible things to her and-

"Not that, thank GOD," he said. "There are worse things than just beating someone up," Jack said flatly, cutting into Daniel's thoughts.

"Look, Sam, more than anyone, knows that anything you said as Ba'al wasn't YOU talking," Daniel said, trying to reassure his friend. "Have you even tried talking to her?"  
Jack shook his head. "Try," Daniel urged. "General Landry's been keeping her busy on some project of his." He reached out and touched his friend's hand. "Jack, the whole mission to save you, it was her idea. Even if she's a little pissed, she doesn't stay pissed for that long."

"You're probably right," Jack said. He craned his neck. "What else do you have in that bag?"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Jack walked across the short cropped grass, taking care to walk around as many of the graves as he could. The air was heavy and humid, just what he'd expect from Texas in the late summer. Bees buzzed, busily tending to the wild flowers that grew in neatly tended rows, occasionally drowned out by the roar of jet aircraft, flying to and from nearby Lackland Air Base. Off in the distance, he could see hovering clouds, lurking just on the horizon and ripe with the promise of thunderstorms in a few hours.

The cemetery was very quiet and, as cemeteries go, a nice place. The graves were well tended and many of them were decorated with flowers and trinkets from families and friends.

Spying his quarry, Jack looked back, waving at Daniel and Teal'c, both of whom had chosen to wait by the car. He picked up the pace and walked up beside Sam, helping himself to a seat beside her on the small concrete bench. "I turned in my keys," she said, not acting surprised to see him.

"Yeah, Landry was impressed. Said you even labeled them," Jack said, leaning over to perch his elbows on his knees.

"What are you doing in Texas?" she asked, her tone annoyed. "And don't tell me you were just passing by."

"Remember? A couple of years ago? You told us that you always stopped here between assignments," Jack said, reading the name and dates on the tombstone. He did the math, realizing for the first time that she'd just been thirteen when her mother had died.

She shrugged. "It's kinda hard to just drop by, even if you grab a hop," she said. Her situation was a common one amongst military families. Family plots and generational cemeteries were a luxury that most just couldn't manage. "I figure the least I can do is keep her up to date between assignments."

"Yeah, speaking of that," he said, broaching the topic that had sent him, Daniel and Teal'c on a thousand mile flight from Peterson to Lackland earlier that day. "You kinda filled out the wrong form."

She turned to look at him. "No, I didn't."

"For cryin out loud, you're not resigning," Jack said, abandoning all prevarication. 

"Already have," she said. "Accepted and signed, in triplicate."

"Aren't you jumping the gun a bit?" he asked. "The SGC's still on hold. It hasn't been shut down."

"Yet," she said. "You and I both know it's coming. Besides, I, aah, it's the right thing to do." She smiled at him, a small expression that didn't reach her eyes. Her self-imposed mission was complete. That was what she'd spent the last month working on, creating the most secure, hardest to breach iris possible. It wouldn't make up for all those that had died because of her weakness, but it was a start.

"Carter-"

"Colonel, I can't do this anymore," she interrupted.

"Can't or won't?" he countered. She closed her eyes and looked away. Jack sighed, regretting that he'd let things go between them the past couple of months. He should have talked to her, the very instant Doc let him get out of bed, he should have tracked her down and sat on her until they hammered things out.

But, as much as he wanted to, he didn't want to. He didn't want to rehash the memories or repeat all those horrible things Ba'al had said to her. He didn't want to remember that, even if the words weren't his, the voice was. And the voice had said such nasty, hurtful things.

Ba'al had used him, delved deep into Jack's mind to pull out just what would hurt Sam the most. Every word, every phrase had been coldly calculated to inflict the maximum amount of hurt. And, out of all the memories Jack had to live with, those few hours with her were worse than anything else he and Ba'al and done in the previous months.

It'd been easier to just put it off and ignore it and hope -count on - her natural instincts to forgive to smooth things over. If he was smart he'd have realized that some things can't be so easily forgiven. He'd allowed himself to continue to excuse her absence with the importance of her work. Now he saw that he'd made a huge mistake.

"Is there a difference?" she asked softly.

"There is to me," he retorted.

She snorted. "You, better than anyone, should know this is for the best."

"Don't tell me you believed that crap," he said, inserting what he hoped to be the right level of annoyance into his voice to snap her out of her maudlin mood while cursing his own laziness.

She looked at him. "Thirty-eight people died. You spent six months as a host. Teal'c lost his eye and his hand-"

"None of which were your fault," he interrupted.

"Yes, they were," she contradicted. "And you know why."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, remembering all too well his and Landry's conversation a few weeks ago. How they both - very unofficially - decided just how much Jack would remember, and how much he'd simply forget. She glared at him and he sighed, rolling his eyes. "You know damn good and well he was pushing your buttons."

"Was he wrong?" she asked pointedly.

"It doesn't-"

"Yes, it does," she interrupted.

"Yes," he said after a minute. "Ba'al did use the information that Hathor took from you to breach the iris," he confessed.

"Told ya," she said, smiling grimly.

"Just like he used the information he took from me to tear you up into little pieces," he said. "So I guess that what he did to you is my fault and I need to go back and tell Landry that he needs to pursue assault charges on your behalf."

"Colonel-"

"Same thing," he interrupted. "Just like I guess I shoulda kicked your ass when Jolinar tossed me across the room. Not to mention traumatizing Cassie. And then there's the credit card fraud Machello committed when he ran off with Daniel's body. And I think Hammond and I and, hell every other man on the base other than Teal'c should all be brought up on charges of conduct unbecoming an officer."

"Colonel-"

"Hey, you started it," he interrupted again. "You're obsessed with playing the blame game, let's play it. While we're at it, I can go get Teal'c and Daniel can kick his ass for Shau'ri while I shoot him for getting Skaara blended." She growled softly and leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. "Let it go," he said. "What happened, happened. And you can't change it. Hathor used you, just like Ba'al used me. He fucked with both of us. Are you gonna let him keep screwing up your life?"

"It's FUBAR'd already," she said. "Colonel, I'm not going back. I've got this great job at Columbia. I'm going to teach a class in applied astrophysics. Nobody shooting at me. No life or death decisions." She looked at him. "Nobody dying because of me."

"Sam-"

"I can still see them…"

  
_A thin smoke hung in the air, lending the narrow halls an eerie look. She heard the men behind her, the sound of their footsteps barely audible over the clatter of their weapons and muttered curses._

_She led them down Corridor C, pausing as they checked each and every room, searching for survivors that might be too afraid or unable to step out, surviving enemies who might be lying in wait and, worst of all, looking for the dead._

_They approached a door and Sam glanced over her shoulder, meeting Castleman's gaze before she moved to the side, her weapon at the ready. Castleman nodded, then opened the door, dropping to his knees._

_"Clear," Sam said, scanning the room and finding it empty. Castleman got off his knees, standing back to allow Sergeant Marchenko to mark the door with a red X, signaling that it had been cleared._

_"Corridor C, room 345, clear," Sam reported, speaking softly into her radio._

_"Roger that," she heard. She tried to identify the voice but couldn't. None of the control room staff had survived and since the base was locked down, the survivors were on their own until they could verify that the base was secure. Which meant that every able bodied person had been pressed into mop-up efforts._

_"Continuing to room 346," she said, exchanging a look with Castleman. They quietly made their way down the hall. There wasn't as much damage here as there were on other levels. But, the lingering smell of gunsmoke and scorch marks on the wall told her that this part of the base hadn't been immune from the battle._

_She stopped in front of room 346, her heart dropping at the sight of smeared bloody fingerprints on the door jam. She looked at Castleman and he nodded, signaling that he too saw the blood._

_She tensed, almost afraid of what she'd find. This time Castleman stood at the side and Sam knelt down, nodding at him to open the door. He twisted the doorknob and it swung open with a small creak. Sam scanned the room, her eyes darting over the crumpled form in the corner as she searched for anyone else in the room._

_"Clear," Castleman said. Sam got to her feet and hurried forward, kneeling beside the fallen man. She felt for his pulse, closing her eyes when her fingers encountered cold, still skin. "That's Johnson isn't it?"_

_"Yeah, SG-3," Sam replied, pulling the chain out from under his shirt and snapping off his second dog tag. "Control, we have a KIA. Corridor C, room 346." Sam read off Johnson's name and serial number before sliding the dog tag into her vest. They weren't collecting the dead at the moment, rather they were simply keeping a list of where they were. As soon as they knew the base was secure, there would be time enough for the dead._

_"Roger that," the voice said. "I'll add it to the list."_

_"Two more rooms and we're done with this corridor," Castleman said._

_"Corridor A, room 116 secure," the heard over the radio._

_"They're moving slow," Sam said, mentally mapping the other team's location._

_"It's a mess down there," Castleman said._

_"Yeah," Sam said, wishing that she was with the other group. There were a lot of SGC personnel missing and unaccounted for. Among them, all three members of her team.  
"Control, this is team three," Sam heard. "We need medics. I have two survivors, one enemy KIA. Room 212, corridor B."_

_Sam's ears perked up and her hand reached for her radio only to stop before she could key the mic. She wasn't the only one missing friends and teammates and she couldn't clog the radio asking for names._

_"The medics are dispatched. Who are the survivors?" Control asked._

_"Sergeant Whitlock and Teal'c."_

_Sam's eyes shot up to meet Castleman's. "Go," he said. "We'll get the last two."_

_"Thank you," Sam said, getting to her feet. She hurried from the room, hearing Castleman warn Edwards that she was approaching his position._

_It took her just minutes to navigate the cluttered halls. "On your six," she said, warning them that a friendly was approaching. Two men passed her in the hall, carrying a third on a stretcher. Sam presumed that this had to be Whitlock on his way to the infirmary._

_"He's over there," Edwards said, grabbing Sam's arm as she passed. "It doesn't look good," he warned._

_Sam stared at him for a second then pulled away, going to Teal'c's side. The medic knelt beside him, the man's rubber gloves shiny with blood. "Major."_

_"How is he?"_

_He shook his head. "I don't think he's gonna make it," he said, busying himself with Teal'c's left hand. Most of Teal'c's face was covered with a thick layer of blood spotted gauze. "His eye is gone. His hand is hamburger. He's got multiple shrapnel wounds on his chest and abdomen," he listed._

_Sam slowly shook her head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. "No, Junior-"_

_"It's dead," he interrupted, looking up at her. "Piece of shrapnel got it." He nodded over to his left. "I took it out so that the blood wouldn't kill him. Although, I don't see what difference it makes."_

_Sam looked over, seeing the small blood smeared figure of Teal'c's symbiote. "Symbiotes are hard to kill," she said. "Are you-"_

_"Major," he interrupted. "It was almost cut in half. It's dead."_

_"We got two more down here!" Sam heard a man call out._

_The medic glanced up before starting to gather his gear. "I gotta-"_

_"You can't," she said, reaching out to stop him._

_"Major." He shook her hand loose. "Cold reality of triage. You help the ones that have a chance. He doesn't." He got to his feet, stripping off his bloody gloves. "I'm sorry, Major, I really am. He's lost enough blood he'll probably never regain consciousness. Transport will be here soon to get him to the infirmary and that Jaffa is secured." Sam looked over at a figure lying several yards away. It was one of the Jaffa they'd been fighting. He had likely fallen victim to the same grenade that had so grievously injured Teal'c. "You said he was KIA," she said, catching the man's words._

_"As good as," he dismissed. "We're taking care of our own first. By the time they get to him, he'll be dead." He picked up his bag. "Besides, half his brain is gone, his body just hasn't figured that out yet."_

_He hurried from the room, leaving Sam alone with the two dying men. She reached out and took Teal'c's uninjured hand, taking it in both of hers. "I don't know where they are, Teal'c," she whispered. "The colonel and Daniel, they're both missing and I know that something's wrong. They would have checked in by now. You know that. The colonel would be helping us search and Daniel would be trying to talk to the Jaffa. Something's wrong, I can feel it."_

_She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I think they're dead," she said, voicing her fear for the first time. "We're down to the last few halls and…oh god!" She leaned forward, clutching his hand to her chest. "They're gone. I know that they're gone and…I'm gonna lose you too."_

_She ignored the tears that would not be denied, mentally listing the casualties. General Hammond, Sergeant Davis, Colonel Makepeace, Major Kovacek, Sergeant Johnson. And now Teal'c._

_She opened her eyes and looked over at the small, blood smeared form of the symbiote. "All because of you," she muttered, glaring at the dead symbiote. She gently laid Teal'c's hand on his chest and got to her feet, walking over to the dead symbiote. She prodded it with her foot, confirming that the medic had been right, Junior was dead. His thin corpse was smeared with his own blue tinged blood and well as some of Teal'c's, the red color dried to a rusty brown. One little piece of shrapnel was all it took. "Bastard." She petulantly kicked the symbiote, sending one half of the corpse sliding across the floor._

_Her eyes followed it as it came to land just inches from the other Jaffa. A thought occurred to her and she stared, not quite believing that she was thinking what she was thinking._

_'Half his brain is gone, his body just hasn't figured that out yet.'_

_She looked from the Jaffa to Teal'c and back. Teal'c could recover from his injuries if he just had a symbiote. The Jaffa was brain dead. They'd just send him to Area 51 to be dissected._

_Before she could change her mind, she threw herself to her knees and pulled at the man's armor, struggling to unfasten his breast plate. She shoved it aside and unfastened the chain mail shirt he wore, opening it to expose the man's belly. She took a deep breath and shoved her hand into his pouch, belatedly thinking that, if the symbiote was close to maturity, it could try to take her as a host._

_Something wriggled against her palm and she grabbed it, pulling the symbiote from the pouch. It writhed weakly, squealing in protest. She clambered to her feet and hurried back over to Teal'c, unceremoniously shoving the creature into his empty womb._

_She leaned back on her heels, her breath rasping in her throat. Her hand felt cold and she looked down, staring at the drying mucus and blood that smeared her fingers._

  
"I killed him," she whispered, looking down at her hand.

Jack shook his head, confused by the sudden change in topic. "Who?"

"He was there and it wasn't fair." She turned to look at Jack. "He shouldn't have lived while Teal'c died."

Jack frowned, still not understanding her. As he watched, her expression changed from dismay to hate in a second. "Code of Hammurabi. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, snake for a snake."

Jack gasped, the meaning of her words sinking in. "Sam-"

"I didn't mean to hurt Teal'c. I thought the new symbiote would fix him but it was too weak, too near death itself. Teal'c hates me for making a cripple and I can't blame him because I hate myself."

"Carter-"

"I CAN'T do it anymore," she said, accentuating the word. "Let me go," she requested, getting to her feet.

"Sam," he said, standing up as well. He wanted to stop her, convince her to come back. That they could work things out. That nobody blamed her for what had happened. That it wasn't her fault, that they could make it all right again.

But he couldn't. He couldn't lie to her. The world had changed and things would never be 'right' again. "You'll call?" he asked, accepting her choice.

She nodded. "Yeah." He pulled her into a hug, surprised when she returned it, her arms sliding around his waist. After a few seconds she pulled away, taking a step back. "It's been an honor."

"Yes, it has."

She turned and Jack watched her walk away. She was stopped in a few yards by Daniel and Teal'c, both of whom Jack guessed had gotten tired of waiting in the car. She and Daniel hugged and she exchanged a few words with Teal'c before she continued past them.

As he watched, she made her way over to a waiting U-Haul. She pulled herself up in the cab and started the engine. "Jack?" Daniel said, joining him.

"Let her go," Jack said. "When she's ready, she'll come back." He forced a confident note into his voice that he didn't feel. Somehow he knew that he'd never see her again.

"And if she doesn't?"

Jack had no answer.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"This is bullshit!" O'Neill exclaimed, his voice echoing off the walls of Landry's office. 

"Don't hold back," General Landry said, nonplussed by O'Neill's outburst.   
His sardonic words served to calm O'Neill and the man sighed. 

"This can't be the final decision," Daniel Jackson said, holding the same piece of paper that Landry had handed to O'Neill. And the same piece of paper that Teal'c held in his hand.

"As final as it gets," Landry said. "I was sent that as a heads up from a friend of mine. The official announcement will be made in a day or so."

"They're really shutting us down?" O'Neill asked, looking down at the piece of paper in his hands.

Landry nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Don't they realize what a huge mistake they're making?" Daniel Jackson asked. "If they want weapons to fight the goa'uld, the only way to get those weapons is to go look for them."

"They're confident that we can make our own," Landry said.

"They are wrong," Teal'c said. The three men in the room turned to look at him, Daniel Jackson twisting around in his chair. "Earth may believe that it is advanced, but it is not." Teal'c looked directly into Landry's eyes. "When the goa'uld come again, Earth will be easily conquered. The only advantage Earth has over other planets is its exceedingly large population. However, that too will be vanquished in time."

"There's nothing we can do?" Daniel Jackson asked.

Landry shook his head. "It was all I could to do get permission for Teal'c to go home. In roughly a week's time, the iris will be permanently welded shut and this base abandoned and closed. It will be monitored from Area 51 and the personnel here will be reassigned." He looked up to Teal'c. "If you want to return to your people, I will do that. But you have to leave before the iris is welded shut. Once that happens, there's nothing I can do."

"We still have the Teltac that Sam got from her dad," Daniel said.

"What about Jacob?" O'Neill asked. "Are we going to abandon him too?"

"As far as the Joint Chiefs are concerned, Jacob Carter made his choice. I do have permission to try and get a message to him. But if he doesn't make it back before the iris is closed-"

"He's stuck," O'Neill said.

"I'm afraid so." Landry sighed. "Look, you don't have to do anything just yet. Teal'c, when you want to leave, just say the word. I'll dial the gate myself. I do ask that you keep this information to yourselves until it's officially announced. Dismissed."

O'Neill and Daniel Jackson got to their feet and Teal'c followed them from the room.   
"Jack," Daniel Jackson said as soon as they were out in the hall.

"Not here," he said. He led them to his office, closing and locking the door to insure their privacy. He walked to his desk and sat down. "Well?"

Daniel Jackson stared over at Teal'c. "So you're just going to accept this?" he asked.

"What the hell do you suggest I do?" O'Neill asked.

"You can fight."

"With what?"

"You know what it's like out there. You, better than anyone, knows what the goa'uld are capable of," he said.

"Which is precisely why they won't listen to a word I say," O'Neill said. "I'm 'compromised'." He made little quote marks in the air. "I will never get another command and I sure as hell will never be allowed off world." He shrugged. "I was going to retire anyway. This just moves things up a bit."

Teal'c frowned, concerned at the level of defeat he heard in his friend's voice. He knew that O'Neill was still suffering from the after effects of his possession by Ba'al. And it was a recovery made even more onerous by the prejudices and fear of those around him.  
Teal'c knew that O'Neill's mind was again his own, yet in the minds of many, he would never be deemed free from Ba'al. 

"They might as well just invite the system lords to come and make themselves at home," Daniel Jackson ranted. 

"I shall return to the Land of Light," Teal'c said, looking down at the mangled stump that was his left arm. He did not relish returning to his people. In truth, he feared it. The Tau'ri did not understand the meaning of the word Kek. Any group of Jaffa were only as strong as their weakest member and he, maimed as he was, was weak. For the good of the whole, the weak were excised, removed for the betterment of all.

He could only hope that Drey'auc would welcome him. If she would not, he was confident that he could find employment as a mercenary. Perhaps he and Bra'tac could work together and lead the Jaffa to rebellion. Dying, even in an unwinnable battle, was far more honorable than existing as kek.

"Shau'ri is still out there," Daniel said, his anger fading. "I'm not going to just abandon him."

"You're not gonna have a choice," O'Neill said. "They're gonna shut the gate down and we'll be stuck here. When the goa'uld invade we'll just have a slight heads up on everyone else."

Daniel Jackson looked at Teal'c, his brow knitting furiously. "I have a choice," he said. He looked over to O'Neill. "I can go with Teal'c."

"Are you nuts?"

Daniel Jackson shook his head. "I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. There's nothing here for me."

"Your family."

"Nick is locked up in a nuthouse. I doubt he'll even notice I'm gone. And don't say my job. THIS is my job, and I'm getting laid off."

"Tupelo would welcome Daniel Jackson in his house," Teal'c said, oddly intrigued by the idea of his friend joining him. "As he would you, O'Neill."

Daniel Jackson turned his gaze to O'Neill. "That's a great idea."

"It's a crazy idea," O'Neill protested.

"What's so crazy about it?"

"You mean other than abandoning Earth and running off to an alien planet?" O'Neill got to his feet. "Landry will never go for it anyway."

"We do not require General Landry's permission," Teal'c said. "In fact, if I understand your rules correctly, it would be best if he has no knowledge of our plans."

"Hijack the gate?" O'Neill asked.

Daniel Jackson shook his head. "We'll hijack the teltac."

"Oh, that'll be easy."

"I believe that it will not be as difficult as you believe," Teal'c said. "In fact, unless I am mistaken, that teltac has not attained flight since we returned from our last mission."

O'Neill frowned and looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "Landry did kinda mention that. What'd you do?"

"I believe the term is insurance," he said. "I removed one of the crystals vital for long term flight and replaced it with a non-functioning one."

"Go, Teal'c," Daniel Jackson said, chuckling a bit.

"You're really gonna leave?" O'Neill asked.

"My goal has always been to fight for the freedom of my people. I cannot do that if I am marooned on this world," Teal'c said. He looked at O'Neill. "It is also not safe if I were to remain. My symbiote will mature in a few of your years. I do not believe your government will look fondly upon my remaining here."

"I'm going with him," Daniel Jackson said, looking at Teal'c for permission. Teal'c nodded.

"Daniel-"

"Jack. There's nothing left here for me. At least if I'm out there I can do something."  
O'Neill retook his seat, sighing heavily as he leaned back in the chair, covering his face with his hands. "It's ok if you don't want to come," Daniel Jackson said. O'Neill lowered his hands and looked at him. "I doubt we'll be able to come back and Sara and-"

"Sara thinks I'm dead," O'Neill interrupted.

"What? God, Jack-"

"All they found after the attack was a charred dog tag," he said. "Sara was notified and…" He tossed his hands in the air. "It was easier to just stay dead." He leaned forward in the chair, propping his elbows on the desk. "I'm gonna miss pizza."

Daniel Jackson smiled, clearly pleased with O'Neill's response. "What about Sam?" he asked.

"Daniel, she's got a life."

"Don't you think she at least deserves to know what we're doing?"

"Why? So the NID can toss her in jail for being an accessory?" O'Neill said. "Daniel, your little idea can be interpreted as treason at the worst and felony theft at the best. The less people involved the better."

"We can't just go without saying goodbye," Daniel Jackson protested. O'Neill sighed and looked over at Teal'c and he realized that it was not Major Carter that O'Neill was protecting.

  
_Teal'c stood beside the vehicle idly watching the two humans conversing a short distance away. Even with his hearing he could not perceive their words from this distance however their postures and gestures suggested that their topic was a serious one._

_"This kinda reminds me of where my parents are buried," Daniel Jackson said, leaning against the side of the car. He looked over at Teal'c. "They died in New York, so Nick buried them there."_

_"I do not understand the human need to preserve a corpse," Teal'c said. "Once a Jaffa's spirit leaves his body, that body is nothing but an empty shell. It is to be discarded in the most efficient means possible."_

_"You don't bury your dead?"_

_Teal'c shook his head. "We prefer cremation."_

_"I guess that makes sense. Warrior races tend to prefer cremation. I kinda think it's a preference built from practicality."_

_"It is far more efficient to cremate a corpse than it is to spend valuable time and energy to bury it," Teal'c said. "After a battle, the first priority is to search the fallen and recover any goa'uld symbiotes that have survived."_

_"What about your own injured?" he asked._

_"If they are the injured of the victors, they shall be returned to their barracks if their primta can heal them. If they are the vanquished, they are kek and they shall die," he said._

_"Kek?" he asked, frowning. "I'm not sure I'm translating that right. Weak?"_

_"Indeed. Only the weak lose."_

_"But the strong survive," he said pointedly. Teal'c did not respond. "That's it," Daniel Jackson said, comprehension crossing his features. "That's what's between you two."_

_Teal'c remained silent, turning his attention to the two humans. Major Carter got to her feet. She and O'Neill exchanged an embrace then she started to walk towards them. "Sam?"_

_"It was sweet of you to come, Daniel," she said, embracing him as well._

_She turned to Teal'c. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just…I never meant to hurt you. I was just afraid to be alone." She squeezed his arm and hurriedly walked past them._

_Daniel Jackson stared after her for a few seconds then hurried to O'Neill's side. "Jack?"_

_"Let her go," he said as Major Carter climbed up into the cab of a rented truck. "When she's ready, she'll come back."_

_Teal'c looked at O'Neill, the confident tone of the man's voice ringing false. He did not believe that they would see their friend ever again. Teal'c could see it in O'Neill's eyes. He felt that the woman's departure was permanent. "And if she doesn't?" Daniel Jackson pressed. O'Neill remained silent and Teal'c turned his attention back to the vehicle, watching as it slowly drove out of sight. He should feel peace and vindication that the woman was gone. Yet all he felt was a sense of loss._

  
"Major Carter's skill would be most beneficial to our cause," Teal'c said.

"It will?"

"You sure about this?" O'Neill asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I am indeed," Teal'c said, realizing that he was in fact, sure. He did still have issues with Major Carter, however they were HIS issues. And he could not allow his personal issues to jeopardize his people's freedom.

"Ok." O'Neill shrugged. "Presuming we manage to hijack the teltac without getting killed, we'll stop by Carter's and see if she wants to come." He clapped his hands together and smiled. "So, anybody got a plan to steal this ship?"

"I thought you had a plan," Daniel Jackson said.

"It's your idea."

"I do ideas, you do plans," Daniel Jackson shot back.

Teal'c settled back and listened to his two friends bicker, refusing to allow the amusement he felt show on his face.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam jogged up the sidewalk, her feet pounding on the pavement. She turned and made her way up the short walk leading to her apartment complex and slowed, gradually coming to a walk. Still breathing fast, she slowly walked in a circle, cooling down a bit before she went inside.

The apartment complex was an older one and located on the edges of the campus. It was favored by members of the staff and - unofficially - held open for them thanks to the owner being an old class mate of the Dean.

After her house, Sam found it a little small and the plumbing was a little wacky, but it had a certain charm that she found appealing. Her breathing slowing, she climbed the stairs up to her apartment, running through her plans for the day while she climbed. The college was on spring break so the campus and town was pleasantly unoccupied. She was enjoying the peace and quiet, enjoying the well groomed emptiness of the campus. 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small keychain, opening the screen door and unlocking her apartment. Regretting not hitting the bagel place during her jog, she made a bee line to the kitchen. She'd set some of that nice imported coffee to brew while she took her shower then settle down and leisurely read the Sunday paper. Maybe she'd have an early dinner, order out from that little pizza place downtown then hit the store and pick up some ice cream.

Just as she stepped into the kitchen, her nose picked up the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee. A half full carafe sat on her coffee maker and she tensed, her hand going to the cell phone she wore clipped to her waist.

"I'd really appreciate if you didn't do that."

Sam spun, the shock of another voice in her home barely pushed aside by recognition of the voice. "Colonel," she gasped. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He held up her black and gold Mizzou mug. "I see you picked up that fancy coffee thing from Daniel." He took a sip and walked past her, topping off the mug. "This stuff's better than his though. He keeps going for that crappy hazelnut thing."

"It's French vanilla," she muttered, shaking her head slightly. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"I just dropped by." He leaned against the counter, casually crossing one leg over another. He was dressed in civilian clothes, a pair of baggy jeans, Henley shirt and a black leather jacket.

"A thousand miles and two states and you were just in the neighborhood," she said skeptically.

"Distance is relative," he said with a shrug.

"Actually that's time," she corrected. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

The pleasant expression on his face faded, replaced by one of familiar seriousness. "The SGC's shut down," he said. "They're gonna weld the iris shut and bury it and transfer everyone out."

"Oh my God, I didn't think they'd do that," she said.

"Neither did I, but it's done." 

"Do they think with the gate buried, the goa'uld won't come?" she asked. "They know where we are. It'll just take them a little longer to round up the ships," she said. "Without the gate, we'll have no chance to stop them. There'll be no warning. We're…we're trapped, easy pickings."

He sighed heavily. "Yeah." He glanced around the room. "Which is why Teal'c, Daniel and I are gonna take a little trip."

"Trip? What kind of trip?"

"A trip," he said meaningfully. "And knowing more could get you arrested."

"But you said the gate…" she trailed off, remembering that the Stargate wasn't their only way off world. "You're not gonna use the gate, are you?"

"We probably won't be back," he said, answering her question by not answering it. "They won't take too kindly to us lifting your dad's ride."

"We?" she asked, afraid to put the question into words. 

"Teal'c, Daniel and I," he said. "T was going to return home anyway and Daniel…he still wants to find Shau'ri." 

"And you?"

He shrugged. "As far as the world is concerned, I'm still dead."

"Oh."

"We just aah, we didn't want to just disappear."

"Right," she said, forcing enthusiasm into her voice. They didn't want to disappear.   
Maybe it'd be better if they'd disappeared. At least then she wouldn't have to know what they were doing…and that they were going to do it without her.

"Figured we owed you that much. You have a nice place here," he said, switching the topic. He strolled out of the kitchen and into her living room. "Little small but it's better than my first apartment. That place was a dump. But this is nice. This real wood?" He ran his hands over the door frame.

"It's probably from a real tree and everything. Where are Daniel and Teal'c?"

"They're staying with the ride. You've really made a fresh start here, haven't you?" he asked, looking at her. "I bet your students pay more attention to you than I ever did."

She chuckled. "They pretty much fall asleep," she confessed. "When are you leaving?"

"We just had this one errand," he said. "You know, I'm kinda glad I retired. I don't know what they're teaching cadets these days, but it was way too easy to grab the ride," he said, turning to face her. "All it took was the right ID and a couple of zats."

"You guys are really gonna take that teltac for an extended trip?" she asked.

"If it's good enough for the Tok'ra…"

"You know, that ship is shaky at best," she said. "We had to make a couple of repairs on the way to get you."

"Teal'c can fix it," he said.

"He's a great pilot but…not the best engineer in the world."

"Yeah, well, you know, we can't exactly run an ad in the paper. We'll be fine."

"You'll do better if you have someone with you that actually understands the technology," she said, moving to stand in front of him.

"We're never coming back," he said seriously. "At best we're outlaws, at worst it's treason. Which is why I don't want to ask, I don't…" He stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "The three of us don't have anything left here but you do. You've got a life and a job and family and…"

"I have twelve students that sleep through my class and I was voted the teacher that you don't want to get," she said. "And I am beyond sick of grading papers. Do you think you can use an engineer on that ride of yours?"

He smiled. "I think we can make room." He held out his hand. "Welcome aboard."

  
Two hours later, Sam signed a note and shoved it into the large envelope, carefully taping the envelope shut. She scribbled Mark's address on the envelope and dug in her purse, finding her book of stamps and sticking several on the envelope.

She looked over at the colonel, rolling her eyes at the amused look on his face. "What?"

"You know, tying up all the loose ends, kinda shoots a hole in the 'he made me do it' defense," he said.

"You said we're not coming back," she said, taking one last glance around the apartment. For the most part, it looked just like normal. She wasn't really taking that much, a couple suitcases of clothes, toiletries and some personal effects that she didn't want to leave behind for Mark. "When dad 'left' he gave me control of his finances. He set up funds for the kids for college. I have to make sure Mark gets that stuff." She held up the envelope. "This is all he needs to get access to my and dad's stuff."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "I'm ready."

He got to his feet and they each took a bag, Sam tossing her laptop and purse over her shoulder. "You just had to be on the second floor didn't you," he groused as they   
struggled down the stairs.

"It's safer than the first floor," she said. "How far away did you park?"

"Not far at all," he said, steering her towards a nearby park.

She followed him, her eyes picking out the tell tale shape of a teltac sized area of smashed down grass. "You're very lucky it's spring break," she said. "This park is normally busy."

"Thank god for lazy people," he said, pulling a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. "Open sesame," he said.

Sam watched as the door opened, the interior of the teltac seeming to float in nothingness. "Sam!" Daniel hurried out and walked towards her, his arms outstretched. 

Sam let him pull her into a hug, closing her eyes for a second. "Daniel."

"Teaching agrees with you," he said, letting her go and stepping back. Daniel, too, was dressed in his civvies, something that Sam found oddly appealing.

"You wouldn't say that if you were in my class," she said, letting him take the suitcase from her.

"We shouldn't linger, kids," the colonel said, looking back from the doorway. 

Sam and Daniel hurried forward, realizing that it would be best if they could make a clean getaway. "I'll go put this away," Daniel offered, heading towards the cargo area of the ship. 

Sam looked after him, catching sight of several boxes and crates stacked in the hold. She walked towards the peltac, stopping short as she saw Teal'c stand up from the pilot's chair and walk towards her. She stopped, belatedly realizing that she'd forgotten to ask the colonel one vital question. He wanted her to come along…but did Teal'c?

She stared as he walked closer, her heart pounding in her chest. What if he told her to leave? "Teal'c?"

"Major Carter," he acknowledged, standing a few feet away. Unlike the colonel and Daniel, Teal'c was dressed 'normally', wearing fatigue pants and a black t-shirt. She found it oddly comforting and familiar. A black patch covered his missing eye, giving him a roguish look.

Sam shook her head. "Not any more."

He nodded. "I welcome you to join us, Samantha Carter," he said, smiling slightly. Sam returned the smile, relaxing under his welcoming gaze.

"If you two are done making goo-goo eyes at each other, think we can lift off before someone scrambles the fighters?" the colonel called, looking back at them.

"As you wish," Teal'c said, turning on his heel and reclaiming the pilot's seat. Sam saw Daniel join them as she heard the exterior hatch seal. Jack sat next to him while she and Daniel stood beside the console. 

Teal'c fired up the engines and they effortlessly took flight, quickly rising in altitude and leaving the planet. The glowing brightness of the moon filled the view screen and Teal'c paused, looking back at the rest of his team. "Where are we going?" he asked.

Jack looked back at her, raising his eyebrows. "Carter?"

Sam glanced around and grinned. "Second star to the right…"

"And straight on 'til morning," Daniel finished.

"You heard her," Jack said, smiling widely. "Let's see what's out there."

  
~Fin~


	3. Treading Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after leaving Earth and the SGC behind, SG-1 discovers that freedom isn't as fun as they thought it'd be, and that danger comes from the unlikeliest sources

  


Carter was out of uniform.

Of course, Jack thought as he glanced around at his team, none of them had a uniform anymore. 

Carter and Daniel led the way, slowly trekking towards the village off in the distance. They talked softly between themselves and Jack let them, confident in Carter's abilities and Teal'c's perception to guard against any threat.

A lot of things had changed in the year since they'd left Earth, the least of which was their appearances. Carter's hair was a bit longer, the shoulder length strands restrained in a short ponytail while Daniel's hair was cut short, as short as it could get with only a pair of scissors to be used for grooming.

The four of them were dressed similarly, but not alike, their attire a hodge podge of what they'd brought with them from Earth, and what they'd been able to trade for during the past several months.

"What do you know about this market?" Jack asked Teal'c, glancing over to his friend. Teal'c walked silently at his side, his massive arms bare, with only a heavy leather vest covering his chest and heavy leather pants tucked into knee length boots. His right hand gripped his staff weapon while an odd hook like device adorned his maimed left wrist. The combination of hook and eye patch that he wore to protect his empty left eye socket did lend him a rather pirate-ish air…not that Jack would ever say so to his face.

Jack found that Teal'c's combination of size and attire often had the effect of stopping the curious in their tracks. A response that had saved them from confrontations time and again. 

"The Sparna Market is neutral territory. Jaffa, regardless of their masters, may trade here."

"Something tells me that neutrality is a relative term," Jack said.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, as Sam and Daniel glanced back, both slowing their pace to let Jack and Teal'c catch up with them. "The illusion of neutrality is maintained by the assertion that no one group of Jaffa wishes to endanger their ability to trade, or to seek retribution from another group."

"Mob rule," Daniel said. "You don't follow the rules because you respect them, but because you're afraid of the fallout."

Teal'c nodded. "A wide variety of merchandise is available at the Sparna Market. Food, weapons, technology from all areas of the known universe."

"We're not interested in a wide variety," Jack said, sighing softly.

"I can take care of the fruit and vegetables," Sam said, staking claim on part of their shopping list.

"I can help her," Daniel said. "You two do better with the arms dealers anyway."

"If you hadn't have lost your gun, we wouldn't need to be scaring up another one," Jack said, indulging himself in a fit of pique. It hadn't taken them long for the stark reality of their situation to set in. In one way, going rogue was fun. There was no paperwork, no orders, no silly missions. They could take a day off whenever they wanted to, wear whatever they wanted to. Daniel could explore ruins to his heart's content and Jack could make up the rules as he went along.

Of course, there was also no medical attention beyond what they knew themselves, no backup if it all hit the fan and, if they lost a weapon or device, there was no store room or armory for replacements.

They also had no support staff. There was no commissary to grab a quick bite; no easy MRE's to pack for food during a mission. There were also no grocery stores, no Wal-Marts and - perhaps worst of all - no pizza delivery.

"Like I did it on purpose," Daniel said, rolling his eyes.

No, he hadn't done it on purpose. He'd been captured and disarmed. And, for some strange reason, they hadn't felt like negotiating with the cannibals to get his Beretta back. The machetes and spears might have had something to do with it.

Jack sighed. "No, you didn't. But we still need to get you another one."

"Or something similar," Sam said. "I kinda doubt Sparna has many Berettas."

"Ya think?" Jack shrugged. "We'll find him one like ours." Jack motioned towards the pistol at his waist. 

It hadn't taken him and Carter long to abandon their Earth weapons. First of all, they were obvious as weapons of the Tau'ri. And being obvious was the last thing Jack wanted. Second of all, without bullets, they were just pretty paper weights.   
  
As soon as he - they - decided to leave Earth, they had gathered some supplies, the quantity and disposition of which being only limited by time constraints and the need to fly under the radar.

Unfortunately, raiding the armory would not have classified as flying under the radar, so their ammunition had been limited to the various bits and pieces Jack had in his possession, augmented by the odds and ends Carter had taken with her when she'd quit. It hadn't taken them long to realize that their weapons were only good for the short haul. And, it also hadn't taken them long to realize that money would be an issue, unless they wanted to kill someone to steal his weapons, they needed some form of currency to purchase arms.

Exploration was now somewhat of a luxury; a diversion to be sandwiched between hunting for food and maintaining their shelter. And their goals weren't always simple exploration, but a search for valuables to be traded to purchase the necessities of life.

"Maybe I can find a zat," Daniel said, glancing down at Jack's pistol. His and Carter's weapons were energy based, along the line of a zat, but more powerful. The initial stun setting tended to incapacitate a person for several hours. Carter described it like a tazer on steroids. However, just like a tazer, it could be lethal in the right conditions and after enough exposure.

"Do many Jaffa take souvenirs?" Carter asked.

"Some do," Teal'c said. "However the Goa'uld rarely allow their 'magic' to be distributed to the masses. A weapon such as O'Neill's or Major Carter's would be easier to attain."

"Fine," Daniel agreed. "A gun's a gun."

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't even going to bother with the 'you need to be armed' lecture. Daniel had heard it all before and, in a way, Jack kinda envied him.   
Lately, he considered his sidearm as vital as his pants. He never left 'home' without either of them.

"Is there any chance those Jaffa might have some issues with humans?" Sam asked.

"It is possible," Teal'c said. "We should remain on our guard and limit our contact as much as possible."

They were now close enough to the village that Jack could hear the sounds of the market place. Voices and conversation warred with the sounds of animals and other noises of civilization. The trail had widened as they'd walked and the four of them could now easily walk abreast. The market was located on the outskirts of the village and Jack could see the city walls just beyond. 

"It's bigger than I expected," Daniel said. It was larger than Jack thought it would be as well, spanning the equivalent of a city block.

"Don't get more than a week's supply of vegetables," Jack cautioned. "There's not much room in the stasis unit."

They had finally built a cabin of a sort a few months ago, but it was little more than a place to sleep and cook. They still depended on the teltac for their sanitary needs and used its small stasis chamber as a refrigerator - just without the refrigeration.

"Any requests?" Carter asked. He knew that she wasn't fond of her role as chief grocery shopper, but they had to fit into the society's norm. And those norms dictated a rather limited role for a female.

"Whatever you get," Jack said, hoping to make things easy. Food was food and he'd eat anything she bought. They didn't exactly have the resources to be picky. "Meet back here in an hour," Jack said, as they reached the edges of the market.

Carter nodded, then she and Daniel veered off towards the right. Jack glanced at Teal'c, then followed his friend towards the left. Despite the noise and illusion of chaos, there was organization to the market. Booths flanked dirt walkways that were approximately five yards wide. Each of the merchants had his or her own space, some possessing covered lean-tos while others had their wares spread on cloths on the ground.

Jack walked slowly, keeping his hand close - but not too close - to his weapon. He studied the merchants as he walked past them. Most studied him back, their gazes assessing both the threat potential and their likelihood as customers.

"You know, if it wasn't for the tattoos, I'd think I was on Earth," Jack said, shaking his head to discourage a particularly enthusiastic merchant.

"I was not aware that Earth possessed such open air markets," Teal'c said.

"Maybe not as many as in the states, but yeah, we do," Jack said, flashing back to one such place. Tehran, Baghdad or Cairo, where there were people with needs, there were people ready to fulfill them. "Any preferences in arms dealers?" he asked, ceding to Teal'c's greater knowledge. 

"Several will offer what we seek, few will be satisfied with what we have to exchange for the weapon," he said.

"Yeah, that's gonna be a problem," Jack said. Neither he, Carter or Daniel were what people would consider poor, however Earth wealth had no real value off world. And it had even less meaning when they hadn't been able to take much with them, their need to be discreet meaning that they couldn't empty out their bank accounts or sell off any assets. 

"When we get done here, do you know of any, umm, tell worlds?" Teal'c looked over at him, his good eyebrow raised in question. "Dead worlds," Jack clarified. "Places we can scavenge without stealing from live people."

"I know of a few. However many worlds are telak for a reason. Others have long since been plundered of any remaining valuables."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I was afraid of that." For the short term, foraging was fine. The planet they'd chosen was a nice one, temperate and fertile. He and Teal'c had been able to hunt on a regular basis so they always had meat. And he'd even been able to get in a little fishing. However, they also needed vegetables and fruits in their diets, items that were harder to forage and that would require them to farm. Which wasn't necessarily impossible, but was definitely time consuming.

"I do know of a few worlds," Teal'c said softly. "Places where Jaffa refuse to visit, or are forbidden to travel. It is possible that other humans will also obey these restrictions and that the wealth of the planet may be largely untouched."

Jack looked over, the tone of his friend's voice setting off alarm bells. The Jaffa sounded reluctant, almost grudging in his revelations. One thing that Jack knew about Teal'c was that he didn't scare easily. And if he was spooked, the rest of them ought to be terrified.   
"We'll talk about this when we get home," Jack said, curious but well aware that a crowded marketplace was not the best locale to discuss secret places to plunder. "Let's get what we came here for."

Jack slowed, letting Teal'c take the lead. Despite years of experience exploring the universe and a lifetime's experience in the shadier parts of Earth, Jack was well aware that Teal'c knew more than he ever would and that his knowledge was invaluable. Of course, that knowledge came at a price. They were running a risk coming here. 

Given that it was a Jaffa market, there was a good chance that Teal'c would be recognized. And an equally good change that someone might feel like taking on the sholva. But it was a risk that Teal'c refused to let control his life.

They approached one stall and Jack stopped, feigning interest in the man's display. He casually picked up a large knife. "That is a fine Marcurian blade," the merchant said, moving towards them. "You have an eye for quality." Jack turned the knife in his hands so that the polished metal glinted in the sun. 

"I acquired it just last week," the merchant continued, his dark eyes darting from Jack to Teal'c and back. "It was from the estate of a gentleman here in town. Sadly, he journeyed to Kheb. His wife was forced to sell off his most prized possessions to feed their three small children."

Jack glanced at Teal'c, barely able to contain his amusement at the man's story. The knife was a nice one, but under the shine Jack could see faint pockmarks and pits, a sign of an old and well used metal. A thin strip of leather was wrapped around the hilt, leather that was far newer than the blade. Jack caught sight of a small rust colored fleck and smiled. "You should tell the widow that she missed a spot." He pointed out the stain to the merchant.

The man's face fell for a second before he grinned confidently. "I knew you had an eye for quality," he said, plucking the knife from Jack's hand and sweeping it away. "Are you gentlemen looking for something in particular?" His tone was now business like, calm and appraising.

"We seek a phase pistol," Teal'c said.

The merchant grinned. "Ah, I knew I could help you." He reached behind him and pulled out a box. He opened it with a flourish. "Was there a particular model-"

Jack reached out to pick one up. "None of these will be sufficient," Teal'c declared, his voice stilling Jack's hand. "They are old and quite worn."

Following Teal'c's lead, Jack picked one up and turned it over in his hand. "You know, I think my grandma had one just like this." He made a show of examining it closely. "She'd use it to scare the birds away from her rose garden."

"He is a scavenger," Teal'c said, his voice heavy with disdain.

"Been cleaning up a few battle fields have we?" Jack asked.

"Do not disparage those that do what you will not," the merchant said, the smile falling from his lean face.

"I'm Jack, this is-"

"The sholva," he interrupted. He pointedly studied Teal'c, his eyes lingering on the man's scarred face before settling on the silver hook that replaced Teal'c's left hand. "Some may say that your god has punished you."

"The Goa'uld are false gods," Teal'c replied.

"Those words are heresy-even as they are truthful. I am Arbutus, once loyal servant to Morrigan." Arbutus bowed slightly.

"Once?"

Arbutus took a few steps, revealing an obvious limp. "My queen desired only fit servants."

"They're kinda picky that way," Jack said, his voice now respectful. He knew all too well what it felt like to be deemed 'damaged goods' and set aside. "We do need a phase pistol."

Arbutus nodded and set down the large case, letting the lid fall shut. He reached under his rough hewn table and picked up a small cloth wrapped item. "I acquired this just two weeks ago. It seems to have had only one owner and is in good condition." Jack took the pistol from Arbutus and studied it before handing it over to Teal'c. "You are Tau'ri, are you not?" Arbutus asked.

"My name's Jack," Jack answered, unwilling to confirm the man's suspicions.

The merchant nodded. "It is good that you are not Tau'ri then. Although you may wish to reconsider your choice of companions." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Apophis is not a tolerant man and he has taken the defection of his First Prime most personally."

"Apophis' feelings do not concern me," Teal'c declared, handing the pistol back to Jack.

"Even if his feelings do not, his actions will."

"What do you mean?"

"He has offered a reward for your capture," Arbutus said. "A quite handsome one at that." He looked at Jack. "And for his companions as well. Three members of the Tau'ri, two males and a female."

"Then it's probably a good thing that we're not them," Jack said, refusing to allow his alarm to show on his face. A bounty? What the hell was Apophis doing putting a bounty on their heads? They hadn't even seen the snakehead for over a year.

"Indeed," Arbutus said, smiling wryly. "It would be most unfortunate if you were his companions."

"How much?" Teal'c asked, giving his blessing to the purchase.

"The information is free, the weapon is five measures of naqahdah."

Jack shook his head. "Three," he countered.

"The weapon would sell for eight," Arbutus said.

"It's only worth what someone is willing to pay."

"And I am not the benefactor of a charity," Arbutus retorted.

"Four measures," Teal'c said. "And three gold coins." Teal'c reached into his pocket and pulled out three of the coins they'd found just last week. Jack had no idea whose face was stamped on the coins, or the language. Daniel didn't know either. And, in a perfect world, he'd spend the next few months trying to answer just those questions. But they didn't live in a perfect world and the potential information value of the coins was far less than the practical wealth of the gold.

Arbutus frowned and sighed, reaching out to pick up the pistol. "Should you tire of it, I shall welcome possessing it again," he said, handing over the weapon, accepting their price. "It is a fine weapon." Jack took it and shoved it into the back of his pants while Teal'c handed over the small bars of naqahdah to complete the deal. "I would not linger here," Arbutus warned. "I have no interest in a bounty, but others may be enticed."

Jack nodded. "Thanks for the warning." Teal'c nodded his thanks as well and the two of them turned, leaving Arbutus behind. "This is an unpleasant surprise," Jack said softly, his eyes searching out Carter and Daniel.

"It was not unexpected," Teal'c said.

"You knew he'd put a bounty on your head?"

"Apophis will do much to insure that he can have that which he desires," Teal'c said evenly.

"How spooked should we be?" Jack asked, his mind trying to assess the threat to his people.

"We should not linger here. And when we leave, we should not dial directly home. It would be best if our base remains a secret."

"Sounds good," Jack agreed. As he walked, he studied the other patrons, this time much more seriously than he had before. Every glance seemed to make his hackles rise and he wondered how many of them were merely curious about the two strangers and how many recognized the sholva. "Let's go get Carter and Daniel before they buy the place out."

A year ago, going rogue had sounded attractive and fun. A way to keep doing what they wanted to do while escaping the near constant harassment of those above. It was a way to do what they could to protect Earth, way to escape the confines of their jobs and roles.

It had sounded fun and exciting and adventurous.

But he really missed the one thing they had all surrendered, a safe haven from the dangers of the universe. At this precise moment in time, the real gravity of their choice settled firmly on Jack's shoulder. And he wondered if it'd be too much of a weight to bear.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam handed the coin over to the merchant, ignoring Daniel's small moan of protest. She picked up the bag of vegetables and nodded at the merchant.

"Maybe we can go back," she said as they turned away from the stall. She was well aware how he felt about spending the coins. They weren't just alien coins to him, they were artifacts, precious remnants of a lost and dead race.

"Maybe," he said, his tone openly skeptical.

She couldn't blame him, she felt the same way. "Now that the cabin is done, we'll have more free time." Building the cabin certainly hadn't been one of their original plans. It hadn't even been one of their non-original plans, but had sprung up after they realized that, as much as they liked each other, four adults living in a small space ship was a recipe for disaster…or murder.

"Not if we want to lay in some supplies for winter," he said, taking the bag from her. "It took us all day to find a half dozen coins, which obviously aren't worth much. Jack will see it as a waste."

"Thanks. You know, we do have a ship at our disposal," she said. "If winter sucks too much, we'll just head down to the southern hemisphere, or even find another planet."

Two children ran in front of them and they stopped short, sharing amused glances. "Some things never change," Daniel said, watching the pair chase a small puppy.

"Something pretty for your lady?" 

Sam turned, tensing until she realized that the man was no real threat - to anything but their wallet. He held up his beefy hands, several necklaces hanging from his grubby fingers.

"A sparkly to augment your natural beauty." He wiggled his hand, making the necklaces glitter in the sun. "Perhaps a reward for some time well spent," he suggested lecherously.

Sam shook her head and walked past him, taking a step to avoid brushing by his stained grey robes. She glanced at the jewelry laid out on the man's table. "Oh, no, we're not umm, she's not my-"

"Are you hers then?" he interrupted. "I have a fine selection of ornaments suited to the masculine - and not so masculine - among us."

Sam chuckled, eager to see how Daniel talked his way out of this one. The merchant had a decent enough selection, but she could see very little on his table that looked like real jewels or even real gold. A small pendant caught her eye and she picked it up, turning it over in her hand. "Yeah, well I'm not the jewelry type. Sam?" Daniel grabbed her arm. "Don't we have a wormhole to catch?"

"Daniel, look at this." She held up the necklace.

"Ah, one of my simpler pieces. But so rare. In fact, I've never seen a pendant quite like it."

Daniel too ignored the merchant and took the chain from Sam. He raised his eyebrows and looked back at her. "Should we tell them this is a Federal offense?"

"It's not just that, Daniel. Look at the date."

Daniel did as she bid, raising the coin to get a better look. He glanced back at her. "It's this year."

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's a state quarter. And I know that those weren't in circulation when we left."

"Come on, kids. Dinner's waiting."

Hearing the Colonel's voice, Sam turned, beckoning him towards her. "Sir, you need to see this."

"I thought we agreed, no souvenirs," he said, reaching her side.

Sam took the quarter from Daniel and handed it over to Jack. "He's selling this," she explained, motioning towards the merchant.

She saw the Colonel frown, his eyes narrowing as he realized what he was holding. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

"I receive a wide variety of items from a-"

"I don't care about your other stuff. I care about this," Jack interrupted.

"O'Neill?"

"That coin is from home," Sam said. "And it wasn't in circulation when we left." Teal'c frowned. "It wasn't readily available," she explained.

"Where did you get this?" Jack repeated, glaring at the merchant.

"My clients-"

"Will no doubt, mourn your passing," Teal'c said, taking a menacing step forward. The merchant gulped, paling visibly.

"I'd tell him if I were you," Daniel said. "He gets grumpy towards the end of the day."

"Falun," the merchant said, his eyes darting over the four of them.

"T?"

"I know of this planet." 

Sam glanced around, unable to ignore that they'd captured the attention of several other merchants and patrons. "Sir," she warned.

"We're gonna take this," Jack said, tossing the necklace at Daniel.

"Bastet will not easily surrender her catch," the merchant said, his effacing façade replaced by a look of shrewd speculation. Sam had no doubt that he was calculating just how much ratting them out was worth.

"That's okay. It's really no fun when they do," Jack said. He jerked his head and the four of them closed ranks, carefully making their way out of the market.

"Jack-"

"Later," Jack said tersely. "Let's get in the open first." 

Daniel hushed and Teal'c fell back to walk beside Sam, the two of them casting cautious glances to their rear, just to make sure there were no surprises. Once they were a half mile away, he turned back. "Teal'c, what do you know about this Bastet?"

"She is a minor Goa'uld. Her holdings encompass perhaps two solar systems and several thousand Jaffa."

"Several THOUSAND?" Sam asked.

Teal'c looked over at her. "Many of which are spread out amongst her holdings. I would estimate, presuming that she holds her captives in her palace, that we shall encounter perhaps a hundred or less."

"This doesn't make any sense," Daniel said. "The SGC's been shut down for almost an year. There shouldn't be anyone out here."

"Maybe there isn't," Jack said.

"Sir?"

"Option number two. If we don't have humans out here-"

"We could have Goa'uld on Earth," Sam interrupted. Daniel abruptly stopped, forcing Sam to quickly step aside. "Daniel?"

"Just like in the other universe," he said, his face pale. 

"Wait," Jack said. "I thought you said that Earth was just afraid of an invasion. That's why they were running rough shod over everyone."

Daniel shook his head. "That was the last alternate universe. I'm talking about the first one." He looked at them. "Where you were the general and Sam was a doctor and Teal'c was evil and-"

"And you clicked your heels three times and came home," Jack interrupted.

"Okay, so it was an alternate alternate universe," Daniel confessed. "The Goa'uld were still there."

"We can't go back to Earth," Sam said. Jack looked over at her. "If the Goa'uld have taken over the whole planet, I don't think a teltac and four people will do much good." She ignored the other reason they couldn't go back, they were all wanted criminals. Although, if Earth had been invaded, that was the least of their problems.

"We're not going back to Earth," Jack said. "We'll go check out this Falcon."

"Falun," Daniel corrected.

"Whatever," he dismissed. "We'll check this place out first, see what we can find out and go from there." 

He started to walk towards the gate. "Sir?" He turned back. "Without a MALP, we could be walking right into a trap."

He shrugged. "With the MALP we walked into our fair share of traps," he said. "We'll take the teltac, cloak it and check things out from orbit." He reached into the small of his back and pulled out Daniel's new pistol, handing the weapon over. "They were out of designer colors," he quipped. Daniel took it, turning it over in his hand a couple of times. "It's just like mine or Carter's. Same premise as a zat, just without the disintegrate setting," he explained.

"At least there's that," he said, tucking the gun into his belt. 

They reached the DHD and Sam stepped forward, ready to dial. "Don't go straight home," Jack said, his words stilling her hand.

"Sir?"

"Dial up that desert planet we went to last week. We'll go home from there," he instructed.

"Why?" Daniel asked while Sam shrugged, pressing the glyphs to the planet.

"I'll explain later. Let's just say, we're gonna go unlisted."

"Okay," Daniel said slowly as the wormhole opened. "And how does keeping a low profile fit in with raiding a Goa'uld palace?"

"Who said we were keeping a low profile?" he asked, moving past Daniel to climb up the dais. "I just wanna put us on the no call list."

He stepped through the event horizon and Sam turned, grinning at Daniel. "If I'd have known shopping would put him in a good mood, I would have lost my gun last month."

"I do not believe such an action would have had the same result," Teal'c said.

"Let's go," Sam said. "Before he decides to run off and take on Bastet on his own."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

"Isn't that sweet? A palace by the sea," Daniel said leaning against the console.

"Better than a grubby old naqahdah mine," Sam said, joining him.

Jack looked over at Teal'c who was piloting the teltac. "Any way we can tell who's down there without going down ourselves?"

"None," Teal'c answered. "I can scan for human life forms, however I cannot distinguish planets of origin."

"But there are humans down there?" Daniel asked.

"Indeed. Several hundred if the readings are correct"

"So they could be from Earth?" Sam said.

"It is possible."

Jack nodded. "Short of randomly ringing people up, I think the only way to find out where that coin came from is to go down there and ask a few questions."

"Teal'c shouldn't go," Sam said. "It might be hard for a Jaffa to blend in."

"There are Jaffa down there, too," Daniel said.

"But not many First Primes of Apophis."

"She does have a point," Jack said, getting up from his seat. "Besides, you're the best pilot amongst us. We may need a fast retreat."

"As you wish," Teal'c said tightly. Daniel knew he wasn't imagining the frustration in the man's voice at being left behind.

"Can you find a deserted place to land?" Jack asked.

"There are no life signs within a mile of that beach." He pointed to an area on the read out.

"If we approach over the water, they might not even hear us," Sam said.

"Do it," Jack ordered. Teal'c steered the ship while Jack ushered Daniel and Sam towards the back of the ship. Sam opened a small storage locker and pulled out three cloaks, distributing them.

"Since it's dark, we should be able to slip in and out without being seen."

"Needless to say, we need to keep a low profile," Jack said. "We'll observe, maybe see if we can grab a local and ask a few questions. Let's avoid engaging anyone if we can."

"That just sucks all the fun out of it," Daniel said, wrapping the cloak around himself and pulling the hood up to cover his head.

Jack glared and Daniel grinned, enjoying pushing his friend's buttons a bit. In truth, things had been so tense between the four of them that it would almost be worth a fire fight just to lighten things up. Daniel knew that Jack was growing more and more frustrated with their situation. The grass definitely wasn't greener on the other side of the wormhole and Daniel knew that they all had found the change to be a bit trying. He knew that Sam missed her lab not to mention the stress of being the only woman on the planet. He wasn't untouched himself. He never realized just how much he took for granted the diversions of Earth. The convenience of a grocery store and the comfort of heating or cooling at the touch of a button.

He thought that it was hardest on Jack. His friend definitely was feeling the stress of the need to take care of all of them. If their food stores ran low, Jack would take the blame, him and Teal'c sometimes hunting for days to keep them from going hungry.

It was something that he and Sam had noticed so they tried to keep any complaining to a minimum, which sometimes frustrated Jack since he seemed to feel that they were hiding things from him.

The ship swooped slightly and landed with a small thud. "I shall attempt to keep the ship here," Teal'c said, joining them. 

Jack nodded. "We'll radio if something happens. We'll be back in a couple of hours."

He pressed the controls and opened the door to the outside. Sam and Daniel followed him and Daniel looked back, watching in fascination as the door shut, melting into invisibility. 

Jack led them down the beach, making his way towards some fires flickering in the distance. They found a path and followed it into a small gathering of buildings. One of them looked to be some sort of public house and Jack motioned for them to slow, moving so that they could peer in the windows and -hopefully - remain unseen.

Daniel peered in, scanning the room. It was like many other public houses he'd seen in his life. Rough hewn tables were scattered around the room, ringed by a motley assortment of chairs and stools. A young woman served the drinks that a gaunt man drew from one of two barrels. Even from the window, Daniel could smell the sour stench of stale beer. The floor was covered with a thin layer of sawdust, something he remembered that bars on Earth used to use, counting on the absorbent nature of the sawdust to contain the frequent spills.

The dozen patrons were dressed similarly, all wearing roughly woven garments and Daniel pegged them as workers, maybe farmers devoted to feeding the slaves of the palace.

He looked over to Jack and shook his head slightly. These people likely knew nothing. Given their dress, they probably never set foot in the palace. Jack made the signal and the three of them withdrew, melting back into the shadows. "We're not going to find out anything from these folks," he said.

"The palace?" Sam suggested.

Jack nodded. "I think it's the only way. If Bastet does have prisoners here, that's where they'll be." Jack explored a bit and found a well-traveled path. They slowly made their way to the palace, taking care to keep in the shadowy edge of the path.

The palace was several hundred yards from the village and more than lived up to the name. Ornate columns ringed the structure and Daniel could see that they were decorated with the expected feline motif - Bastet being a cat goddess.

The building was at least three stories tall and constructed of a dark stone that seemed to blend in with the night. Flickering torch light shone out the regularly spaced windows, all of which were covered with ornate iron bars.

"I miss my mag strips," Jack whispered.

"Zat?" Sam suggested.

"They're pretty noisy."

Daniel had an idea. He tapped each of their arms and beckoned them to follow him. Walking as quietly as he could, he led them to the back of the palace. A small building stood just next to the palace, close but not attached. "The kitchens," he said.

"You ate on the teltac," Jack reminded.

"I'm not hungry," Daniel said. "Security may be tight by the front door, but no one stops the kitchen maids."

"And they would also know if they were cooking for guests," Sam said.

Daniel nodded. "Probably."

"Okay," Jack said. "I'm betting the people we're looking for are in the dungeons. We'll go in and go down. If we don't recognize anyone, we'll head up and get back to the ship."

"And if they are from Earth?"

Jack looked at Sam. "I doubt they volunteered to be here," he said softly. "We'll cross that bridge."

They watched for several minutes, then, seeing no real activity, they moved forward, keeping to the shadows as long as they could. Jack slowly opened the door and led them inside. They walked into a narrow hallway that had bare stone walls and floors. The three of them pushed back their hoods to improve their vision and crept forward, their weapons held at the ready.

The palace was quiet and still. Daniel thought that he could hear movement in the upper floors, but even they were few and far between, perhaps the bored pacing of a sentry. Jack stopped in front of a door and motioned for them to stop as well. The door was held closed by a heavy sliding bar lock. He shrugged and grabbed it, slowly sliding the lock open as Sam moved to cover his back. Daniel did the same, glancing behind him to make sure that no one had noticed their intrusion.

The door opened with a low creak and Jack stepped in, pulling a flashlight from his belt to light the way. Daniel followed him and Sam brought up the rear, pulling the door closed behind her.

Daniel followed Jack down the stone steps, descending into what could only be a dungeon - if the smell was any indication.

The stairs led them to a narrow corridor. The ceiling was low, so low that Daniel could easily raise his arm and touch it. Torches hung at irregular intervals and the walls were smoke stained, testifying that this dungeon likely saw frequent use.

Jack checked door after door and Daniel hoped that, if they stirred up any of the prisoners, that they kept quiet and didn't alert the guards. Jack peeked in the high window of one door and swept the room with his flashlight, pausing to study something closer. He let out a low, two-tone whistle. And answering whistle came from inside the cell and Jack looked at Daniel. "Found them," he whispered.

"Son of a-O'Neill?" Daniel moved closer to the cell door and could see in. A pale face appeared in the small window and Daniel frowned, trying to recognize who it was.

"Reynolds, right?" Jack said.

"You're a snake head," the Colonel said as he was joined by two other men, presumably members of his team.

"Was," Sam said. "Ba'al's dead."

"Does it matter? Or should we just turn around and leave you to rot?" Jack growled.

"Get us out of here," one of Reynolds's men requested, a note of panic in his voice. 

Jack reached out and picked up a heavy padlock. "They couldn't make it easy," he said, turning back to Sam.

"Easy's relative," she said, shoving her pistol into its holster. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small packet of tools. "Gimme five minutes."

Jack stepped aside to give her room. "That's if we're lucky," he said, lowering his flashlight to help her out.

Daniel turned his attention up the hall, doing his best to watch their backs while Sam worked on picking the padlock. "We thought you were dead," Reynolds said.

"Is that what they're saying?" Jack said, sighing softly.

"Among other things."

"I think I look pretty good for a corpse, don't I Daniel?"

"Remarkably good," Daniel said, playing along. He knew what his friend was doing. He was distracting the attention from Sam and giving her room to work. "Although you are a little pale."

"I am?"

"Yeah, just a little."

"I need to work on that. Maybe spend an afternoon fishing."

"You damn well better clean what you catch," Sam said, looking up as she opened the padlock. "And you're gonna bury the fish guts this time. We don't need any more midnight scavenger attacks."

She pulled the door open and smiled, looking at her watch. "Three minutes."

"Don't let it go to your head," Jack chastised, a smile belaying his words. "You need an invitation?" he asked Reynolds as he swung the door wide.

The two men stepped out while Reynolds moved to the back of the cell, returning with what Daniel guessed to be the last member of his team. 

"You got him?" Jack asked. Reynolds nodded. "Okay. Carter, get us out of here."

Sam moved to the front of the group, retracing their steps back out of the dungeon. Daniel moved to Reynolds' side and helped him with his man as they climbed the narrow stairs back to the main floor. 

They made their way back through the kitchens and into the night, miraculously unopposed, and took refuge in the trees lining the trail. "I hope you're not thinking about using the gate," Reynolds said, panting with the exertion of carrying the other man's weight. "Even if we had a GDO, I doubt our codes are any good."

Sam moved to his side and tried to examine the injured man. "We have better than the gate," Jack said "We have a ship a mile down the beach, can you make it that far?"

"He's in bad shape, sir," she said, looking to Jack.

"He'd rather die escaping than die on this rock," Reynolds said.

Jack nodded. "This trail leads to the beach, but it goes right past a bunch of houses. We're going to keep to the trees and do our best to not engage anyone. If anything happens, Carter and I will hang back and cover your retreat. Daniel, you get them to the ship," he ordered.

Daniel nodded, knowing better than to contradict Jack's words. "Yes, sir," Sam said.

Jack nodded. "Move out."

The small group reassembled themselves, Jack on point and Daniel again helping Reynolds carry his man. The other two men were at their side and Sam brought up the rear. They snuck past the public house, pausing once to wait for a pair of drunk carousers to stagger past them before finding the path to the beach.

The moon was up and it's broad yellow beam reflected off the water, providing more than enough light to guide them. "I hate to be ungrateful here, but I'm not seeing a ship," Reynolds whispered harshly.

"That's because you Marines have no imagination," Jack said. He pulled his radio from his pocket. "T, open sesame." The teltac shimmered into view and Jack turned, grinning. "Let's ship out."

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head before making her way over to the doorway. "Come on, tide's coming in." Daniel brought up the rear with Jack, waiting until the four captives were on board before entering the ship themselves. 

"T," Jack called out. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

The ship's engines roared to life and the ship effortlessly took off, leaving the planet behind.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Colonel Frank Reynolds sat on the floor of the small ship and watched a ghost tend to Lieutenant Owens. Ok, so she technically wasn't a ghost - she sure as hell looked alive to him - but, as far as the SGC was concerned, she, and the rest of her team, was dead.

"Carter?" O'Neill squatted beside her.

She looked up and shook her head. "He's not doing so good, sir."

"What happened?" O'Neill looked over at him.

"Staff blast, he caught the brunt of it," Reynolds said, moving to Owens' side.

"He was conscious at first," Kessenger said.

"But in a lot of pain," Thompson interjected. "They took our med kits so we didn't have anything to give him."

"The staff blast cauterized the wound, or he'd have bled out by now," Carter said. "But this is infected and I'm willing to bet he's badly dehydrated."

"We gave him what we could but…" Reynolds shrugged. "We didn't have much."

"What happened?" O'Neill asked. 

Reynolds looked down at Owens, the bright and clean light of the teltac doing nothing to disguise the ugliness of the man's wound. It was large, bigger than a dinner plate, and crusty with drainage. His jacket was torn and stained and Frank was sure that some of the material was melted into the wound. A fact that, no doubt, only added to the infection that colored the skin around the wound an angry red. 

"A normal meet and greet that went disgustingly abnormal," Frank said. "The natives were loyal to this Bass person. Drugged us and turned us in. We tried to run, the Jaffa got Owens and the rest is history."

"What are you guys doing out here?" the one Frank recognized as Daniel Jackson asked. "Last we knew, the SGC was shut down."

"Boss…" Kessenger said softly. 

He knew the story about SG-1. Hell, the whole SGC knew about the four rogues and opinions varied from person to person. Depending on who you asked, they were heroes, they were well intentioned fools or they were traitors…and everything in between. Personally, Frank never bought into the whole traitor bit. Over the years, he'd seen SG-1 sacrifice too much too often to write them off so quickly. Of course, he'd also seen both O'Neill and Carter possessed by Goa'ulds, O'Neill spending six months as host to the system lord Ba'al before being rescued. There was a part of him that knew that O'Neill was probably a bit tetched in the head after his experiences, but Frank also knew that, despite all that, he still trusted the man.

Frank looked at his two conscious men, then back at his rescuers. "Three months after you four, ahem, vanished, the President died."

"He's dead?" Carter asked.

"DVT," Frank said.

O'Neill frowned and looked at Carter. "Deep vein thrombosis," she explained. "Basically he had a blood clot. They can break loose and cause a pulmonary embolism or even a stroke."

"That's what happened to him. He stroked out. They had him on life support for a few days but scuttlebutt is the only reason they didn't pull the plug earlier was that they wanted to get the political ducks in a row before the twenty-fifth amendment kicked in."

"So…what, who's the VP?" Jack asked.

"Hayes, isn't it?" Jackson said.

"Henry Hayes," Frank confirmed. "Who just happened to think that shutting down the SGC was the stupidest thing we've ever done. Landry was reinstated and personnel were allowed to transfer back if they wanted. We've been up and running for the past six months."

"Six months," Jack said slowly. Frank saw the three rogues look at each other and, even though no words were spoken, he could guess the message. With the SGC back up and running, it'd be just a matter of time before they were hunted. If for no other reason than to 'prove' that no one thumbed their nose at the US Government and got away with it. "Then it's probably best if we don't drop you off at your front door," Jack finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

"We can't use the stargate, we don't have a GDO," Thompson said.

"We could use Cimmeria," Carter suggested.

"Or the Land of Light," Jackson chimed in.

O'Neill considered their suggestions before turning back to look at Frank. "You guys activate the Alpha Site yet?"

"How do you know about that?"

O'Neill gave him a sharp look. "Who do you think came up with the idea in the first place?"

"Yeah, we have an Alpha Site-"

"That's supposed to be a secret, boss," Kessenger said.

"Rocky or Bullwinkle?" O'Neill asked, ignoring the man.

Frank frowned and shook his head and O'Neill looked over to Carter. "P3X482 or P7Y296," she clarified.

"296," Frank answered.

"Boss-"

"Zip it," Frank ordered. He could appreciate the man's adherence to the regs, but this wasn't the time or place to quibble about revealing secrets that weren't really secrets.

O'Neill shrugged. "Who do you think scouted the planets?" He jerked his thumb at Carter. "She analyzed the soil samples, Daniel made sure we weren't trespassing on anyone's turf. I think Hammond and I ended up flipping a coin to decide between the two."

"We just activated the Alpha Site last month," Frank confirmed.

"So you could gate there," Jackson suggested.

Frank shook his head. "There's an iris on that gate too." He looked over at O'Neill. "A little security measure they instituted after The Attack."

O'Neill nodded. "Orbital defenses?"

Frank shook his head. "Just an early warning satellite."

O'Neill nodded. "I'll go tell Teal'c. We'll go in cloaked and drop you guys off." He met Frank's eyes. "We may need you to call off the guards, are you willing to do that?"

Frank got to his feet and moved over to O'Neill's side so that they could talk without everyone else hearing. "I'll tell them you're friendly but…I can't guarantee what they'll do."

O'Neill nodded. "Fair enough." He moved towards the front of the ship, stopping when Frank spoke again.

"Colonel, I can't lie when they ask me who bailed us out. And I won't ask my men to either."

He shrugged. "That should put those rumors of our deaths to rest." He lightly slapped Frank's arm. "Go take care of your men. We'll get ya back to the Alpha Site."

O'Neill walked up into the pilot's compartment and sat next to Teal'c. They spoke briefly and Frank guessed that he was informing the Jaffa about their destination. He rejoined his men, well aware that, in the opinion of some, he was in the presence of vile traitors and dangerous enemies of Earth. And he knew that he'd never felt safer.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
It was a somber group that exited the teltac and hiked the short distance to the cabin. Carter's bag of vegetables hung listlessly from her fingers while Teal'c strode purposefully ahead, his goal - Jack guessed - to get away from them.

Jack glanced over at Daniel and waited for his friend to start talking. Surprisingly, Daniel simply sighed and rolled his eyes. Jack waited until they were in the cabin before he spoke up, well aware that this discussion wasn't going to be a fun - or easy - one. "You guys had to know this could happen," he said, claiming the chair he'd claimed as his. It was a homemade chair, wrought from the branches of a willow like tree that grew nearby. Soft and cushy it wasn't, but it was at least comfortable.

"Yeah well, knowing that it COULD happen and finding out that it DID happen are a little different," Daniel said, claiming a chair across from Jack's. Their cabin wasn't huge, but it did give them some breathing room. It had a large central room with a fire place and four chairs along with a table and four other chairs that they used as a work table or dinner table.

They had a pantry and cooking place also in the main room and each of them had their own small bedroom tacked onto the back of the cabin.

Since there was no electricity or central heating/cooling, Teal'c had helped with the design of the cabin. Strategically placed windows allowed for a cooling breeze to circulate throughout the dwelling and each bedroom had its own charcoal brazier for heat.

"So what do we do now?" Carter asked, setting the bag of vegetables on the table before taking her own seat.

Jack shrugged. "What is there to do?"

"This changes everything," she said.

"You are no longer the only Tau'ri exploring," Teal'c said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "And the other Tau'ri, if they don't already have orders to arrest us, will as soon as Reynolds tells them about us."

Jack shrugged. "So we're not the only ones out here," he said. "We'll just keep a lower profile."

"I don't think that'll work, Jack," Daniel said.

"Daniel's right, sir." Jack looked over at her. "It's just a matter of time before they hunt us down."

"We are no threat to them," Teal'c said.

"Strategically, no," she agreed. "But the fact that we are alive and well will not go over well. If nothing else, their egos will demand that they bring us back. Probably to be used as examples in case anyone else decides to defect."

Jack merely shrugged. He couldn't refute her words, largely because he agreed with them. And Carter knew as well as he did that this wouldn't be the first time the SG teams had been given wanted posters.

"Like they wanted to do with the rogues?" Daniel asked, referring to the men who'd been using the second gate to steal tech - like the Touchstone - from other planets. Last Jack knew, new SG team members were still being given photos of the men as part of their orientation.

"Yes," Jack agreed. "Although they'd probably want us back alive rather than dead. More chance for humiliation that way."

"Even if we keep avoiding planets like the Land of Light and others that the SGC had contact with, statistically we can only avoid them for so long," Sam said. "There's only so many non-hostile planets out there." She sighed. "There's even a good chance that they'll come here."

"What do we do when they come?" Daniel asked.

"Bake a cake?" Jack suggested.

"No, Jack. If their orders are to arrest us - which will probably be the case - what are we going to do?"

"I'm not too crazy about firing on our own people," Sam said. Jack didn't know if it was good or bad that none of them seemed to consider that, yes, the SGC would eventually come to this planet. But 'eventually' was a relative term. And, in this case, it could mean next week, next month, fifteen years from now.

"Me neither," Daniel agreed.

"I'm not either," Jack said. "But can tell you this, I will NOT be taken back to be turned into the NID's latest lab rat," he declared. He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. "Look, if the worst happens, what to do is a decision everyone will have to make for themselves."

"Perhaps a more productive use of our time could be to prevent such decisions from being necessary," Teal'c said.

"How do you mean?"

"It is unlikely that Earth possesses a ship, therefore all exploration must use the chaapai. Our efforts should focus upon securing the Stargate. Then, even if the SGC discerns our whereabouts, they will be unable to breech the Stargate to take us into custody."

"And while they try, we can just jump into the teltac and fly away," Sam said.

"Carter, what are the chances of you making us an iris?" Jack asked.

She shook her head. "Impossible. Unless you have a state of the art machine shop and a couple tons of trinium handy. Not to mention a power source, super computer and high powered transmitters to act as GDO's."

"Figured that," Jack said, frustrated by their limitations. He was ashamed to say that he'd taken so much for granted on Earth. Not the least of which was to be able to pick up the phone and get pretty much anything he needed.

"Apophis once experimented with a shield," Teal'c said. "It would not prevent matter from reforming, rather it would be used to contain anyone who ventured through until their identities could be confirmed."

"Sam?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know. We've backwards engineered a lot of tech, but never a shield generator."

"We do not need to build this," Teal'c said. "Such devices are easily acquired if one knows where to look."

"I'm betting they're not cheap." Jack said.

"They are not. Nor is the power source required to operate such a device."

"And our wallet is a little empty," Sam said.

Jack looked over at Teal'c. "I think it's time for plan B," he said meaningfully.

"Plan B?" Daniel asked.

Jack glanced at him. "Teal'c and I were talking. He knows of a few planets, abandoned worlds. Plagues or natural disasters that wiped out the population."

"The Jaffa normally leave such worlds untouched. It is deemed 'bad luck' to visit such worlds and to remove items from them."

"That makes sense," Daniel said. "If there was a plague or biological disaster, anyone that visited it could risk bringing the plague home with them. In fact, there's a theory that the curses people would attribute to opening tombs were really folks getting sick after being exposed to viruses that laid dormant for thousands of years."

"So we're gonna go grave robbing?" Sam asked.

"It's not something I'd do as a first choice," Jack said. "But I'm thinking that if we're gonna rig ourselves a shield generator, we need to do a little better than we have."

"The dead have no use for possessions," Teal'c said. "If you were in a battle, would you hesitate to take a weapon from a corpse to defend yourself?"

"There's a difference," Daniel protested.

"Not really," Jack said. "Look, we're not gonna empty the place out. We're just going to take enough to get us a shield generator and power supply. Scavenge us some options."

"Daniel, we really don't have much of a choice," Sam said. "And, like Teal'c said, it's not like they're gonna miss it."

"We'll split up tomorrow," Jack said. "Carter, you and Teal'c take one planet, Daniel and I will take the other. We'll take twelve hours max, then come home and compare notes. If we can't find enough on the first two planets, we'll move down the list." He got to his feet. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. I'm going to go take a walk then I'm calling it a night."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam followed Teal'c through the wide street, stepping around one of the many clumps of grass that grew between the cobblestones. Ruins lined the avenue, the stone buildings looked like a petulant child had taken a swing at a pile of blocks. However, these blocks probably weighed several hundred pounds each. The ruins were heavily overgrown, creeping vines climbed up the remnants of walls and trees grew inside many of the foundations.

"This place has been abandoned for a long time," Sam said. She nodded at the ocean just visible in the distance. "I doubt the fishing went bad." The atmosphere reminded her of the Mediterranean, the heat of the bright sun was mitigated - just barely - by the cooling sea breeze.

"A Goa'uld named Apollo once ruled here. It is said that he was destroyed when Poseidon unleashed his wrath."

"There's a Goa'uld named Poseidon?"

"There is not," Teal'c replied.

"Then who trashed the planet?"

"Of that, I am not aware."

Sam sighed softly, giving into her frustration at her friend's recalcitrant attitude. Despite welcoming her to join them and accepting her presence amongst them, his attitude towards her was just as tense as it had been back on Earth. Of course, she told herself, he had every right to blame her. She paused and looked around, studying the ruins. "You know, given that we're just a stone's throw from the ocean, I'd suspect that 'Poseidon's Wrath' was a tsunami." Teal'c frowned at her. "A tsunami is a wall of water, usually created by an earthquake or maybe a meteor strike."

"And this could destroy a civilization?"

"Very much so," Sam said. "Worst case scenario, it'd wipe everything out, literally scour the land clean. If anyone did survive, they'd probably move on. The debris and such would ruin crops and contaminate the water."

"Would it not also damage any technology?"

"Probably," she said. "Unless it was on high ground, of course." She pointed off to the right. "I'm seeing some kind of temple up there."

Teal'c followed her direction, looking towards a building just visible in the distance, perhaps, in a straight line, two miles away. It was perched on an outcropping of rock and was surrounded by trees. "I concur," he agreed.

"It'll take us three, four hours at least to hike around the bay," she said. "But I think we should go check it out." She looked from the temple to the stargate just visible behind them and back, mentally calculating the distance and cringing. "I just hope - if we find something- that it's not too heavy."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"This place needs some serious landscaping," Jack complained, his phase pistol held in his grasp.

"Mother Nature loves to reclaim her own," Daniel said, ducking down and slipping under a low hanging branch. "This was likely a very advanced society." 

"It's a very dead society."

"Jack, look at these structures," Daniel said, moving to the left of the path. To him it appeared to be a very large arbor; brushed metal cross bucks supported a fine mesh surface. "From the amount of overgrowth, I'd say that this planet has been abandoned for hundreds of years, but there's no oxidation on this metal. No real degradation either."

Jack moved past him and rapped on one of the beams. Daniel heard a dull thud. "That's because it's not metal."

"What is it?"

Jack shook his head. "That's a question for Carter. But I'll agree with you. This wasn't some simple farming planet."

Daniel stared, slightly taken aback by Jack's statement. Jack merely looked at him. "What's your best guess of finding any valuables?"

Daniel sighed. He hated the thought of turning into tomb robbers, it went against every fiber of his being. "You know, I've spent the past fifteen years of my life learning how to PRESERVE the past."

"Daniel-"

"I'm accepting that we need to do it," he interrupted. "But I still don't like it." Jack simply glared at him. "The big building over there," Daniel finally said.

"The big building it is then," Jack said. He made a grand gesture with his arm and Daniel rolled his eyes, leading the way towards the largest building.

Daniel couldn't pinpoint a specific architectural style on any of the buildings. Most looked to be rather simple and blocky in design. There was very little ornamentation on any of them, a level of simplicity that seemed to juxtapose the ornate nature of the garden.

As he got closer he could see a tall vertical oval cut into the wall. "This is probably the door," he told Jack.

"Think you can open it?"

Daniel stepped closer and it slid open of its own accord, his presence presumably activating some sort of sensor. "Yep, think so," he said, glancing at Jack before he walked forward. Two large stone panels had slid aside leaving an opening to the ceiling that was perhaps five feet wide but also leaving a low threshold to be stepped over. 

"I see the ADA isn't popular here," Jack said moving to stand to one side of the door while shining his light inside and scanning the room for any threat. 

"A lot of cultures use high thresholds to keep vermin out," Daniel said, peeking inside before stepping over the low ledge.

He ignored Jack's sigh of annoyance and continued into the room. He could appreciate his friend's caution, but Daniel could just feel that the room was empty. Or mostly empty, he mentally corrected as his light revealed what he could only describe as an altar. A U shaped base supported a large stone slab on which laid a body.

He slowly walked forward as Jack did a quick sweep of the room before joining him. "She's remarkably well preserved," Daniel said, studying the woman. Her dark skin was covered with a thick layer of dust and it turned her blue patterned tunic more of a gray color. The tunic was atop long pants that were tucked into low boots and her hands were peacefully positioned on her stomach. Her face was covered with a cloth veil and Jack reached out, pulling it to reveal the features of a young woman.

"Maybe you should kiss her?" Jack suggested. Daniel rolled his eyes and touched the woman, not surprised to find her skin cool and stiff. "Must you touch everything?"

"Must you always be a pain in the ass?" Daniel shot back.

"Unless you're in the mood to check her pockets, there's nothing here," Jack said, recovering the woman's face.

Daniel shrugged. He couldn't argue. The burial chamber was worth studying, but since they lacked both the time and facilities, the body was best left undisturbed. He moved away from the center of the room, shining his flashlight across the dusty walls. Most were bare stone with no ornamentation but a dark corner caught his eye.

"You don't suppose this is like King Tut and there's a room full of gold over there?" Jack asked, joining him.

"Actually, with the exception of the Goa'uld, gold's wealth is very much a perceived wealth," Daniel muttered.

"Perceived?"

"It's only worth what you think it is," Daniel explained, following Jack as they explored the corner, revealing a narrow doorway leading into another room.

As they crossed the threshold, lights came on one by one, each creating a quiet thunking sound. The illumination revealed a room empty of everything but the shattered remains of computers.

"Something tore the hell out of this place," Jack said, kicking one of the six piles of wire that Daniel guessed was all that remained of six computer consoles.

"It doesn't make any sense," Daniel said, surveying the carnage.

"Vandalism usually doesn't."

"No, I mean, they left the body out there alone, but destroyed everything in here."

"Maybe they have some 'don't mess with the dead' taboo," Jack suggested.

Something glinted and caught Daniel's eye. He bent over and picked it up, turning the small block over in his hand. It wasn't square but was a warped rectangular shape. A short horn stood out on each end, giving the block a very irregular shape.

"I wonder if this stuff is worth anything?" Jack said. "It kinda looks like fiber optics. It's too bad it's not metal wire, I know a trader on Devras that would give us a little in trade."

"Wire," Daniel muttered, rubbing his fingers over the metal block. A thought occurred to him and he searched the room, picking up a pile of cable only to toss it aside. 

"Daniel?" Daniel ignored him and moved to the next pile and the next. "Daniel? Daniel!"  
Jack grabbed his arm and spun him around. "What the hell is going on with you?" he demanded. 

"Metal."

"Yes, you're acting mental-"

"NO, METAL!" Daniel interrupted, holding up the block. "Do you realize that this is the only piece of metal we've seen on this planet?"

"No it's not."

"Yes, it is. What do you think used to hold this cable?" Daniel asked, picking up a handful of the cable off the floor.

"Daniel…"

"No, Jack, it makes sense. That's why the corpse out there hasn't been touched. Why there are trees and fences and paving stones but devastation like this." He shook the cables.

"So this place was hit by metal scavengers."

"Scavengers would have taken everything," Daniel disagreed.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know," Daniel confessed. He held up the small metal block. "But I just…somehow I just know that this is important."

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c stood outside the temple, the afternoon sun beating down upon his bare head. He looked behind him and saw that Major Carter was still ascending the path. He glanced around, searching for a threat before propping his staff weapon against the wall so that he could reach for his canteen.

He tucked it between his left arm and his body, holding it so that he could twist off the lid. He drank cautiously, aware that they had a long walk back to the Stargate and only limited supplies. He replaced the cap on the canteen and returned it to his belt before looking at his watch. It had taken them longer than he'd expected to reach the temple and he knew that they would be stretching the limit of O'Neill's deadline.

Major Carter finished her trek and Teal'c picked up the staff weapon, moving to the side as she plopped down on the low step he had been standing on.

"Sorry," she muttered, reaching for her canteen. Her face was shiny with perspiration and her cheeks were flushed from the sun and exertion. "I need to jog some more when we get back."

Teal'c nodded and turned his attention to the ruined village in the valley below. From this vantage point he could see details that had escaped him earlier. The scope of the devastation was now clear. Not a single dwelling remained standing. 

"Those that once lived here likely abandoned the village of their own accord," he said. Despite his limited eye sight he could see far flung piles of debris, scattered tree trunks piled in uneven stacks, nearly concealed by centuries of growth.

"Or were all killed," she said.

"That is also possible."

She pushed herself to her feet and slowly walked around the area. Teal'c could see signs of where the ground around the temple used to be cleared. The trees in the immediate vicinity to the temple were significantly smaller than the others. They also grew in a very random pattern, a few dislodging paving stones set to form a walkway.

The temple itself was about half the size of Apophis' own palace on Chulak, and, oddly enough, just as grand even in its state of disrepair. Grasses and weeds poked their way through cracks in the foundation and vines climbed their way towards the clear blue sky. Teal'c could see piles of dead leaves and broken branches, debris that suggested not only a winter season but also some instances of storms or high winds, a phenomenon that the temple's location would make it most vulnerable to.

"If I was a front door, where would I be?" Major Carter muttered, slowly walking away from him. 

Teal'c ignored her question. He was familiar enough with the Tau'ri to know when they questioned more to make a statement than as a quest for knowledge. He followed her as she explored the outside of the temple. A low porch ringed the temple, elevating it about three feet from the ground. 

"This stone is hand quarried," Major Carter said. She nudged a small impression with the toe of her boot. "You can still see the chisel marks."

"Human labor is far easier to attain than mechanization," Teal'c said.

They walked around a corner of the temple and Teal'c saw the front door. Major Carter looked over her shoulder. "Wanna bet that it's locked?"

He merely glanced at her and remained silent. It did not matter if the door was barred to them. They could gain entrance if they so wished. And, given O'Neill's desire for a shield, Teal'c was sure that Major Carter would do all she could to fully explore the temple.  
Teal'c stopped by the large doors while Major Carter continued on, peering around the corner before returning. "Nothing over there," she said as she looked up. "Not even a window."

"Then our efforts are best concentrated here," he said. The door was tall and looked to be made of heavy, solid wood. Two sturdy iron rings hung from the door and served as handles. "This was carved from a single tree. It will not be easily torn asunder." The wood was plain, its dark surface marked only by the signs of weather and storms.

She shrugged and reached for the door, trailing her fingers over it. "I'd really hate to blow it up," she said. "I'm all for scavenging, I just don't care for the 'slash and burn' method."  
The temple itself stood over ten meters high, far too tall for them to gain access to and explore entering from the roof. 

"We could continue to explore the foundation and see if we can gain entry through a weakness," he suggested.

She shook her head. "We don't have time for that. Maybe if I'd have walked a little faster. Let's just go for the more direct route." She grabbed the handle and pushed, her hand falling away in surprise when the door swung open. "Ok. This is interesting."

"Indeed."

"Maybe no one had time for souvenirs," she said. She reached for her light and crossed the threshold, entering the temple. Teal'c did the same and studied the room.

It was dark inside the temple, the only light coming from the open door. He swept his light towards the ceiling. It was high and intact, supported by several thick columns spaced evenly in the room. The columns were each carved with a repeating pattern of lines and blocks and the walls were covered with frescos and paintings. The floors were bare and were made of light and dark tiles, arranged in a geometric pattern.

"I'm seeing a lot of nothing," Major Carter said, her voice echoing slightly.

"This chamber does not consist of much," he agreed. "However I do believe that there is another."

"You think so?"

"I do. This chamber is significantly smaller on the interior than it is on the exterior."

"A hidden room?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in expectation.

"I do not know if it is hidden, however, the size of this chamber does not match the dimensions of the outer walls."

She nodded. "Then we better find it." She moved towards the edges of the room and set to exploring the walls, obviously seeking a door or entrance to another chamber. 

Teal'c did the same, moving to the far wall. He studied it with his eyes, the need to keep his staff weapon ready prohibiting him from using his hand to feel the wall. He could see no discernable latch or catch or indication of another room. 

"Maybe they just have thick walls," Major Carter said, joining him. She stepped down on a tile and Teal'c heard a small click. He tensed, readying his staff weapon as she raised her pistol. A panel of the wall slid open and hung ajar, revealing an opening of just inches.

"Or maybe not," she said softly, moving to the opening. She shined her light inside and whistled softly, her eyes growing wide. She looked back at Teal'c and smiled. "I think we hit the mother lode," she said triumphantly, pushing the door open further.

Her flashlight beam revealed a veritable treasure trove. Gold and silver artifacts were piled upon a table, sparkling merrily in the light. Beside them was a stack of golden plates and bowls.

A large chest sat on the floor and Teal'c could see that it was piled full of golden coins and gemstones of every color. A life-size statue of a man stood in the corner and golden chains hung from his arms.

"This is incredible," she said, stepping into the room. "We could buy half a planet with this."

An odd feeling crept down Teal'c's spine and he frowned, his fingers tightening over his staff weapon. "Major Carter-"

"We'll never get this back on our own," she said, walking further into the room. "Maybe just the coins and the jewels and bring the ship back for the rest. But I don't know if we'll be able to open the door again. Maybe we should see what we could move outside the chamber just in case. It should be safe, right? I mean this planet's been deserted for centuries, what are the chances of someone happening upon it now?" She turned to look at him. "Then again, if we locked the door, it would be safe and, if we can't open the door again, we can use the explosives and get back in."

She moved to pick up some of the coins from the box. Instead of the clank of coins, Teal'c instead heard a warbling hiss punctuated by a sharp outcry of pain from Major Carter. She collapsed to the floor and Teal'c instinctively took a step forward, seeking to aid his fallen comrade.

The door to the chamber fell shut behind him with a heavy thump and the room plunged into darkness. Sighing at his own stupidity he knelt at Major Carter's side, ascertaining that she was only stunned.

As he waited for her to awaken he wondered which fact would peeve O'Neill more. That they would miss their appointed rendezvous time or that the treasure they sought had eluded them. 

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack ambled through the streets of the abandoned city. He kicked a tuft of dry grass, frowning when yet another of the small metal blocks flew out, skittering across the pavement.

He bent down and picked it up, giving it a cursory examination before dropping it into his vest pocket with the others. He turned a slow three-sixty, mentally checking off the buildings as he turned. He reached for his radio. "Daniel?"

"Yeah?" Daniel answered after a few seconds.

"This place is a bust," Jack said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He'd wanted - needed - this mission to be successful. All in all, Jack wasn't a man prone to panic. If he was, then he'd definitely chosen the wrong profession. But he couldn't deny that the whole 'bounty' business had him more than a little on edge. From the very beginning, he'd known that going rogue had its risks. Freedom never came without a price. But he hadn't dreamed that they'd be hunted. Not without first pissing someone off at the very least.

It had struck him last night as he'd walked, just how vulnerable they were. Their camp, or homestead really, was about a mile from the gate. A distance that - at the beginning - seemed to be a compromise between living on top of the gate while still being close enough to keep an eye on it.

There had been other considerations as well, such as the proximity to water and hunting trails. He knew that Daniel and Carter sometimes found their living conditions trying, especially in the areas of hot water and electricity. But overall, Jack found it rather idyllic. The stream nearby was fast running and clean and the game was plentiful. He was getting a little tired of venison all the time, but it was definitely better than nothing. His biggest regret was leaving his telescope behind.

However, after yesterday's revelations their homestead didn't seem calm and peaceful, rather weak and vulnerable. Even with their weapons and training, they could be easily outnumbered by Jaffa. Or, failing that, a teltac and a couple well-placed bombs could wipe them out in minutes.

"Make my day and tell me you found something," Jack requested.

"Depends on how you define something."

"Daniel-"

"Interesting, yes, valuable no," he clarified.

"Let's head back," Jack said. He glanced at his watch. "Carter and Teal'c are due in a couple of hours anyway."

"Ok," Daniel agreed. A crack of thunder split the air and Jack looked up, squinting into the cloudless sky. "Jack, what was that?"

"I don't-" Jack broke off, staring in horror as he watched clouds billow up from nothing. "Stay where you are and stay under cover!" he ordered, breaking into a run.

"Jack?"

"I think a ship is landing. Stay out of sight!" Jack let go of the radio and tried to run faster, cursing his knee, which ached with every step. He moved closer to one of the buildings, striving to get close to some cover and maybe escape being seen.

He had no idea whose ship it was; just that it could be no coincidence that someone was visiting the place just hours after they'd arrived.

The ship continued to descend, hovering over the building Daniel was in and Jack muttered under his breath, hoping Daniel would stay where he was. At least no one was shooting - yet.

Jack slowly approached the building, ducking from shadow to shadow. It was quiet inside and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his small telescoping mirror, using it to peek around the doorway. He saw no signs of movement so he put the mirror away instead holding his pistol at the ready as he slipped into the room.

Jack cautiously stepped towards the altar, noticing that the body was now missing, only the faint outline of dust testifying to its existence. His stomach sinking, he made his way towards the other room, not quite sure where he'd look next if Daniel was gone. Jack eased his way towards the room, his senses shifting into overdrive. He tried to hear something, anything, which could give him a clue as to what was going on.

Just as he reached the threshold the world flashed white. 'Damnit, a trap!' Jack tensed, forced to shut his eyes. The world shifted and he fell to his knees, hoping to escape the first strike of an impending attack. 

"Greetings, O'Neill."

"Jack! Don't shoot!"

Hearing voices, Jack forced his eyes open, blinking furiously. Silvery grey surroundings melted into focus and Jack relaxed, recognizing the familiar lines of an Asgard ship. "Daniel?"

"Yeah. It's okay. The ship was Thor's," his friend confirmed walking towards Jack.

"Thor, buddy," Jack said, forcing a grin on his face. He carefully loosened his grip on his pistol, all too aware of the adrenaline coursing through his system. "I'm a little surprised to see you," he said, holstering his pistol.

"As I am you," the diminutive alien said.

Daniel stretched out his hand, helping Jack to his feet. "It seems that it's not a coincidence that Thor's here," Daniel said.

"I was most pleased to learn that you were not dead," Thor said. 

"Kinda made my day too," Jack said. "Even though resurrection is a pain in the ass."

"I do not understand why you have abandoned the planet of your birth."

"Jack was taken by a Goa'uld," Daniel said. "We obviously got him back but there are those amongst our people that don't believe he's free from the Goa'uld." Jack shot Daniel a look, both grateful to his friend for explaining and irritated that he didn't seem to think that he was capable.

"So this mistrust led you to abandon your home planet?" Thor asked, his large eyes blinking slowly.

"Amongst other things," Jack said. 

"Before we left they were going to shut down the SGC," Daniel said. "We didn't think that was the right thing to do but they wouldn't listen to us. Jack was also in danger."

"What sort of danger?"

"There are people that want to study him."

"More like dissect," Jack said, tired of being talked about while he was standing right next to them. "We thought they were going to shut down the gate permanently, but they re-opened it a few months later."

"So you will return to Earth?"

Jack shook his head. "We can't. In the eyes of our government we're criminals. We can't go back."

"That is indeed unfortunate," Thor said.

Jack shrugged. "It's not so bad," he said. "We've had to make a few adjustments here and there but nothing we can't live with."

"I do not speak of your personal issues," Thor said.

"Then what are you-"

"I speak of Earth," Thor interrupted.

"What's wrong with Earth?"

"When last I visited, I was informed that you and the rest of SG-1 had perished."

"They probably thought we were dead," Jack said. "We went AWOL." Thor blinked at Jack, cocking his head slightly. "Absent without leave." Jack gestured at Daniel. "We go back and we'll be locked up."

"Same with Teal'c and Sam," Daniel interjected.

"Regardless, the leaders of your world perpetrated a falsehood," Thor said. "I was informed that you had perished, not that you had left."

Jack shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you." It really didn't surprise them that Earth had lied. Saving face was part and parcel of being a politician. And, no doubt, it was easier on the ego to kill him and his team off than to admit that Earth's premiere team had decided to abandon it.

"So you weren't out looking for us?" Daniel asked.

"No," Thor replied simply as Jack looked over at Daniel.

He shrugged. "This planet has been abandoned for hundreds of years, if not thousands, and he shows up just hours after we arrive? This universe is too big for coincidences like that," Daniel explained.

"Doctor Jackson speaks the truth," Thor said. "I was not drawn by circumstance. My sensors detected a very specific energy reading, one that I was required to investigate."

"If this is an Asgard protected planet, we didn't know," Jack said, feeling the need to defend their presence.

"It is not. It is a planet that we deemed of little importance," Thor said. "We were wrong in that determination. In fact, your presence here may be the salvation of the Asgard Race."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam slowly opened her eyes, blinking blearily as an unfamiliar grey ceiling came into focus. She stared for a few seconds before her memory returned. She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, her movement catching Teal'c's attention. 

"Major Carter."

"What happened?"

"When you attempted to touch the treasure, you activated some sort of trap," he said. "It rendered you unconscious and activated a locking mechanism which trapped us here."

Sam nodded, vaguely remembering the shocking jolt that had run through her body when she'd attempted to touch the gold. She got to her feet, wavering slightly until she got her balance. Her hand still tingled from the electrical charge and she flexed it, hoping to banish the pins and needles sensation. She made her way across the small room to the table where the piles of sparkling treasure had been. "It wasn't real, was it?"

"I believe it was a hologram."

"I should have thought of that," she muttered.

"Major Carter?"

"There's an old saying. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is," she said, sighing softly. "Okay, first thing we need to do is figure out how to get out of here." She dismissed her own blame, pushing it aside. There'd be time enough for it later.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. 

His droll response irritated her, but she reminded herself that it was her own stupidity that they were in trouble. Reaching for her flashlight, she used it to illuminate the corners of the room. The ceiling was high, arching several feet above their heads. And the walls were made of smooth hewn stone blocks that fit together almost seamlessly, so seamlessly in fact, that she could barely make out the outline of the door. 

"The trap activated when I touched the 'treasure'?"

"Indeed. You were knocked unconscious and when I moved to assist you, the door closed."

Sam nodded, chewing on her lip. "It's too bad the hologram turned off or I could try it again." He raised his eyebrow. "It could be like an on/off switch, one springs the trap, twice unsprings it," she clarified.

"Such a phenomenon is unlikely."

She slowly walked towards the center of the chamber and the now empty table. "Somewhere there has to be an emitter for the hologram," she muttered, talking more to herself than to him. "Emitters need power." She searched the ceiling and floor, looking for an image emitting device. "There could be a conduit coming into the room." She looked over at Teal'c and he nodded slowly.

"That is possible," he said. "However I doubt that such a conduit will be large enough to allow us passage."

Sam sighed, her hope fading. "Good point," she conceded. She shrugged. "We may just be stuck here until the Colonel and Daniel can find us."

"We may." Teal'c leaned his staff weapon against the wall and reached into his vest pocket, pulling out one of their last blocks of C4. "Or we can facilitate our own egress from this place."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Daniel blinked, Thor's words catching him off guard. "Salvation?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah, umm, I'm glad to see you and all but isn't salvation a bit much?" Jack asked.

"You do not fully understand the status of the Asgard Race," Thor said.

"There's a lot of things that I don't quite get," Jack said. "And they're topics I was always told not to ask about."

Daniel bit back a grin. He was pretty sure what Jack was talking about. Given that the Asgard didn't wear clothes, they had very few physiological secrets, many of which were regular topics when Jack was in a bored or ornery mood.

"For many years we attempted to control the Goa'uld by making and enforcing treaties," Thor continued, oblivious to Jack's reference - or ignoring it.

"Most of which were bluffs," Jack said.

"They are," Thor agreed. "The Asgard have been distracted by a much larger enemy. One that is more insidious than the Goa'uld. We call them Replicators."

"Catchy name," Jack said after a few seconds. 

"It is an accurate name. The Replicators are a race of intelligent mechanical life forms that exist to fulfill one directive, to replicate."

"Makes sense," Jack shrugged.

"They will do this at all costs," Thor continued.

"Okay, self-replicating robots," Jack said.

"Think army ants," Daniel said, getting a true image of the horror Thor's people were facing.

"They're bugs."

"They're bugs that overwhelm by their sheer number," Daniel insisted.

"He didn't say anything about bugs. He was talking about robots," Jack insisted.

"The analogy is appropriate," Thor interjected. "The Replicators prefer a multi-legged form, much like the insects of Earth."

Jack glared at Daniel for a second. "So, let me get this straight. The greatest enemy of the Asgard is a bunch of mechanical bugs?"

Thor blinked and replied simply. "Yes."

"Okay," Jack said with a shrug. "I still don't get how we're your savior though. Unless you want to see if Carter can whip you up some Raid."

"I do not. For many years the Asgard have sought the origins of the Replicators. We hoped that this knowledge could give us insight into how the Replicators came into existence. You have provided us with this knowledge."

"We have?"

"We did?"

Jack looked at Daniel, then back to Thor. "You're gonna have to refresh my memory."

Thor moved to the other side of the room and stood in front of a short pedestal. He manipulated two teardrop shaped stones and a screen melted out from the wall. On it Daniel could see the image of the body from the planet. She was lying on a smooth table and two Asgard stood around her, small devices held in their hands. 

"That's the body from the crypt," Daniel said.

"It is a body, but not in the way that you mean," Thor said. "That is a Replicator."

"Wait a minute, you just said that they were bugs," Jack said.

"They are. However this entity is not organic, it is a machine. And it is emitting power signatures identical to the Replicators."

"So your bugs are now human?"

Thor cocked his head. "Given that the planet below has been abandoned for many centuries, it is most likely that the Replicators evolved here in some form and left the planet."

"The bugs didn't turn into humans, the humans turned into bugs," Daniel said. 

Jack reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a handful of small silvery bits. "Does this have something to do with it?"

Thor's eyes narrowed and he took a step back, clearly startled. "Indeed they do. Those are Replicator blocks. Each possesses its own energy source and they can link together to form an endless variety of forms." He paused, moving the stones on the pedestal. "Those blocks, fortunately, are drained of all power and are harmless. Their presence here does, however, confirm my hypothesis. Further study will be needed to see if we can gain insight into the Replicators and discover a way to control and defeat the present generation of Replicators."

"That's great," Jack said, his tone far from enthusiastic. He slipped the pieces back into his pocket.

"We're happy for you, Thor, really we are," Daniel said, feeling the need to speak up. "But, umm…" Daniel trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase his words.

"You're gonna have to forgive us if we're a little selfish at the moment," Jack said.  
Thor blinked slowly and Jack sighed. He looked at Daniel. "We should go. Carter and Teal'c are probably waiting for us at home." Daniel nodded.

"You have sought refuge on another planet?" Thor asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah. And if you see anyone from Earth, it's probably best if you don't mention that you've seen us."

Thor nodded. "As you wish." He stepped out from behind the console; one of his stones in his hand. He held it out for Jack. "This communication device will function over a sizable distance. Should you require assistance, simply activate it and I will respond as quickly as I can."

"Thanks," Jack said, taking the opaque white stone from the small alien. Jack stood up. "Can you beam us back down?"

Thor nodded and moved back to the pedestal. In seconds the world flashed white again and Daniel looked around, not surprised to find himself back in the crypt. "Let's go," Jack said. "We're going to be late."

He made his way towards the door and Daniel followed him. "Why didn't you let Thor give us a ride?" Daniel asked as they stepped outside. It was now night time and only the silvery light of the moon lit their way back to the gate.

"The less people that know the better," Jack said, shoving the communication device into his pocket. 

"You don't trust Thor?"

"Daniel, right now I don't know who to trust. But I do know that Thor can't tell what he doesn't know." Daniel shrugged, in no mood to argue with his friend. 

The pair of them easily navigated the city and returned to the Stargate. "What are you going to tell Sam and Teal'c?" Daniel asked as the gate opened, bathing the clearing in shimmering blue light.

"If we're lucky, the two of them struck it rich and they'll never ask."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c grasped the edge of the table, awkwardly lifting it to flip it over. The table came off the floor, banging against his shins before settling on its side to serve as a protective barrier. He ignored the pain and turned his attention to Major Carter as she finished placing the charge.

"I wish I remembered how thick this wall is," she said, taking a step back to survey her work. "I placed it to hopefully blow out the door instead of the wall since we don't know if this wall is weight bearing nor not."

"The door is approximately six inches thick," Teal'c remembered.

She nodded, chewing her lip slightly. "That SHOULD do it," she said. She looked over at him. "I just don't want to bring the whole place down on our heads."

"That would be my preference as well," he said, sighing silently at the understatement. If she had just heeded his words earlier it was possible that they could have avoided this trap.

She looked at the door again, mentally calculating the strength of the explosion. "I guess, if it doesn't work and if the Colonel or Daniel are on the planet, maybe they'll hear the explosion and know where to look."

Teal'c refrained from suggesting that O'Neill and Daniel Jackson may not be on the planet. And, even if they were, it was very likely that the sound would not travel as far as she hoped. 

"We might as well do it," she said, walking towards the table. Teal'c retrieved his staff weapon and crouched behind the too thin looking barrier. Major Carter knelt beside him, the detonator in her hand. "Ready?"

"I am."

"Here goes nothing," she muttered, ducking her head as she detonated the C4. A loud roar screamed through the small room, bouncing off the walls and assaulting them from all sides.

The force of the concussion drove the table back and pushed it into them. Teal'c lost his balance and fell over. His left hand shot out to steady himself, the hook scraping clumsily along the floor. He felt Major Carter fall towards him and he reached out, seeking to shelter her even as he struggled to breathe.

His ears still ringing painfully, he raised his head, the heavy dust in the air impeding his vision. Something drifted into his eye and he cried out, instinctively raising his hand towards his face. Vaguely he heard Major Carter's voice and felt a hand gasping his own. She pulled him forward and he followed, too blinded to do anything else.

He tripped over a piece of debris and stumbled, pulling Major Carter down with him before she dragged him back to his feet.

They staggered outside and Teal'c coughed harshly, his body seeking to clear his lungs. His eye still watering painfully, Teal'c fell to his knees and felt Major Carter do the same.   
Raising his arm he swiped at his face, relieved to see the tree dappled clearing swim into view.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice sounding tinny and distant. He nodded, aware that any injuries he possessed were minor ones. He struggled to clear his vision enough to look at her, aware that she did not possess the healing benefits of a primta. If she was injured, he would be most pressed to convey her back to the Stargate. 

Her face was streaked with dust and he could see small bits of stone caught in her hair. Shallow scratches seeped blood, however they looked to be but minor injuries. She said something and he struggled to read her lips since his ears were still ringing from the explosion. She left his side and headed back into the temple.

A flash of movement caught his eye and he stared, watching in amazement as a figure walked towards them.

Realizing too late that the person was not an apparition, Teal'c cried out, his hands fumbling for the staff weapon that he did not possess.

Teal'c thought the figure said something before he raised his weapon and fired and Teal'c knew no more. 

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack pushed open the door of the cabin, grateful that the sun hadn't set yet. He tossed the stone onto the table and plopped down in his chair.

"You should take it easy on that thing," Daniel said. "You might break it."

"Carter can fix it," Jack dismissed.

"One of these days, you're going to tell her to fix something and she's going to tell you to piss off," Daniel said, settling down in the other chair.

"She wouldn't say that." Jack met Daniel's gaze. "She'd tell me to go screw myself," he said wryly, acknowledging the aptness of Daniel's words. He did tell her to 'fix it' a lot. Probably too much. But, damnit, that was because she COULD fix it. 

"That does sound more like her," Daniel agreed. He glanced around the cabin. "I expected them to beat us back."

"Me too," Jack frowned. He and Daniel were two hours late, which meant that Carter and Teal'c were also two hours late. 

"Maybe we should go look for them."

"Maybe they already went looking for us." Jack shook his head. "The RV was here." He looked at his watch. "We'll give them another hour. Then we'll open the gate and give them a call." He sighed. "Let's grab a quick bite to eat first. If they did run into trouble, I'm not in the mood to face it on an empty stomach."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Aris Boch dragged the female out of the temple, quite annoyed that she'd forced him to stun her. Now he would have to wait for her as well as the Jaffa to awake.

He dropped her next to the Jaffa and reached for the pair of manacles at his belt. He secured the pair together, then returned to the temple, retrieving the Jaffa's staff weapon. It was not worth nearly as much as his captives, but it would be a nice bonus, as would the female's phase pistol and knife. 

He picked up the hook he'd removed from the Jaffa's hand and studied it curiously. It was an interesting substitute for the man's missing hand. In fact, not as much a substitute as a weapon, which was precisely why he'd removed it.

Today was indeed a lucky day. His little trap had captured a few plunderers in the past. Pillagers that the caretakers of this planet paid well for., but never anyone as valuable as this.

He returned to his captives, pleased to see the Jaffa was beginning to stir. Aris sat down, careful to keep his distance. The Jaffa was relatively helpless since his only hand was chained to the woman, but one could never be too careful. He hadn't survived as long as he had by underestimating his prey.

"Who are you?" the Jaffa demanded, pulling on the manacle.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" Aris asked, taking his canteen from his waist. He opened a dose of roshna and poured it in, quickly downing his daily dose of the drug.

"I do not," the black man said, confirming Aris' opinion that all Jaffa lacked a sense of humor.

"You have been with the Tau'ri too long, Teal'c," he said, taking pleasure from the fleeting expression of alarm that flashed in the Jaffa's eyes. "You're soft." Teal'c refused to answer and Aris grinned, his expression hidden behind the mask that he wore. "I am Aris Boch," he introduced. "I'm the greatest bounty hunter in the universe."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you are one of the greatest secrets of the universe," Teal'c suggested. "As I have never heard your name before."

"Perhaps you've always traveled in the wrong circles," Aris suggested. "Or maybe this is just he first time you've angered Apophis enough that he felt the need to put out a bounty."

"Apophis is a false god," Teal'c snarled.

Aris laughed, amused at the Jaffa's words. "I never said that he wasn't," he said. "I just said that turning you over to him will make me rich."

The woman began to stir, moaning softly. "If the bounty is your goal, let the woman go," Teal'c said.

"Nice try," Aris answered. "And your ploy just might work - if I didn't already know that Teal'c of Chulak has among his companions Captain Carter of the Tau'ri. Who has within her the memories of Jolinar of the Tok'ra." Aris took another drink of the water before returning the canteen to his belt. "She's almost as valuable as you are." Aris got up, brushing his hands off on his pants. "Unless you feel like carrying her, you better get her to her feet. It's a long walk to my ship."

Aris busied himself, gathering the last of the captives' possessions, while he observed them. If he manipulated things correctly he was going to be a very wealthy man.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam wavered slightly, the tug of the manacle on her left wrist warning Teal'c. His right hand grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling. "Sorry," she muttered. She didn't know exactly what kind of gun the bounty hunter had shot her with but it had affected her like no other, leaving her feeling weak and shaky.

Teal'c didn't respond and she sighed, her shoulders slumping under his silent censure. This whole mess was her fault. She'd suggested that they investigate the temple. She'd triggered the trap. She'd been caught off-guard and shot. And since it was her fault they were in this situation, she needed to get them out of it.

Of course, that would be a hell of a lot easier to do if the world would stay in focus and she didn't feel like she was going to puke.

"We require a rest," Teal'c said, glancing back at their captor.

"You can rest when we get to my ship."

"Surely we are more valuable to your employer if we are alive?" Teal'c countered, glaring at her to still her automatic protest.

"Only if they do not possess a sarcophagus."

Figuring that Teal'c had a reason to delay, Sam pulled on the chain, leading Teal'c towards a large rock beside the trail. She gracelessly sat down, huffing exaggeratedly. "I have a headache," she announced. Teal'c stood over her and raised his eyebrow, silently questioning her. "I always get headaches when I get shot," she explained.

He nodded slightly and - she guessed - realized that her complaint was simply a way to support his ruse. The bounty hunter stood there, glaring at them. Or Sam guessed that he was glaring since his face was still hidden behind a mask.

Finally he stepped back, taking his own seat a few yards away. Realizing that he'd won the challenge, Teal'c relaxed slightly. Sam scooted over, giving him room to sit on the rock as well. 

Aris Boch stared at them for a few seconds then bent over. He grabbed one of the canteens from their stuff and tossed it over towards them. The heavy plastic bounced across the trail, landing about a yard from Sam's feet. She looked at it, then to Teal'c, gauging his reaction. Logically she knew that Boch probably hadn't had time to tamper with it, but she couldn't be sure. And she was thirsty enough not to care, the relentless sun and built up heat of the day exhausting her as much as the hike.

"Like your friend said, you're worth more alive," Boch said. "Course, it's all the better for me if you're a bit sick, so feel free not to drink."

Sam stood up and stepped forward, reaching out with her right hand while her left stretched out behind her, still linked to Teal'c.

She sat back down on the rock and shook the canteen slightly before opening it. She took a deep drink then passed the canteen to Teal'c. "So, you're working for Apophis," she said, less in the mood for conversation than to simply delay their departure as much as possible. The Colonel and Daniel would come. And if she and Teal'c could just delay things long enough they stood a chance of still being here when they did come.

"I work for a lot of Goa'uld."

"They're not gods you know. They're parasitical beings that-"

"Oh spare me the story," Boch interrupted. "I don't care what they are as long as their gold is good."

"So you help them enslave people?"

"I do what I have to to survive," he shot back, the tone of indulgence fading from his voice. He got to his feet and stared at them for a second. "Break's over," he announced. Teal'c glanced over at her, then down to the bottle in his hand. Discerning his silent message, she nodded slightly, readying herself. "Let's go," Aris ordered.

Teal'c tightened his grip on the bottle and threw it at Aris. The man instinctively ducked and they ran, taking advantage of the bounty hunter's few seconds of distraction to make a break for it.

They pounded down the path, Teal'c quickly taking the lead. He pulled her off the path and into the scrubby trees. She fell behind him, realizing that chained as they were, their only hope of navigating the forest was to do so single file.

She could hear Aris following them, shouting and crashing through the forest. The trees flashed past them, the leaves a green blur. Branches slapped back at her, stinging her arms and face as she ran. 

Teal'c picked up the pace and she struggled to keep up, his longer legs and Jaffa physiology giving him a distinct advantage over her. She tried to run faster, resisting the urge to peek over her shoulder to see how far back Boch was.

Teal'c suddenly tripped, falling awkwardly to the ground and pulling her down with him. She cried out, his weight twisting her arm painfully. They both struggled to regain their feet, fumbling to free their tangled limbs.

A shadow fell over them and Sam looked up, unsurprised to see Boch standing over them, his weapon held ready. "You are quickly becoming worth more dead than alive," he threatened. "Get up!"

Having no other choice, Sam and Teal'c got to their feet, both of them breathing heavily from their mad dash into the forest. As they stood up, the manacle tugged on Sam's wrist and she gasped, looking down to see the flesh red and irritated. She cradled her left hand with her right, carefully flexing her fingers.

"Move. Now!" Boch ordered, stepping back, his gun still held at the ready. Defeated, they both started walking, slowly retracing their steps back to the trail. Boch allowed no other breaks, pushing them relentlessly the last two miles to a clearing. "You can stop here," he said.

"I thought we were going to your ship," Sam said, using her free hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

"We are. Barokna." At his words a teltac shimmered into existence. Boch walked over to it and punched a code into the controls. The door opened and he stepped aside. "After you."

Sam followed Teal'c into the ship, pausing at the threshold to take one last glance around, hoping against hope that she'd see some sign of the Colonel or Daniel. Boch prodded her with his gun and she reluctantly stepped inside. Boch followed her, shutting the door behind him. "Sit," he ordered.

She and Teal'c followed the direction and sat down where he indicated. Boch picked up a length of chain and secured Major Carter's free wrist to the wall. Once they were secure the bounty hunter made his way up to the controls. In just minutes the ship smoothly took off and Sam slumped, realizing that they were totally on their own and that she had absolutely no idea how they'd get out of it.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel watched as Jack paced, fully aware that there wasn't much he could do. He sighed and leaned forward in his chair, taking off his glasses to rub his tired eyes. "We'll go back at first light," he said.

"We should be back there now," Jack retorted predictably.

"And if we could see in the dark, we would be," Daniel replied. Jack glared at him. "All of us were on our last batteries," Daniel explained. "Rigging up some sort of mini power source was on Sam's 'to do' list."

"She should have made it her first priority," Jack complained.

"It was. Until building this cabin became the first priority."

"The teltac!" Jack said. "We'll take it back and use its sensors."

Daniel shook his head. "That planet's a day's flight from here. And if we fly there and Sam and Teal'c call for help, no one will be here to help them."

Jack tensed and Daniel prepared himself, sure that his friend was ready to launch into a tirade. Instead, he sighed. His shoulders slumped and he sank down into his chair. "We never should have split up," he said softly, his words muffled as his hands scrubbed his face.

"We had a lot of territory and a limited amount of time," Daniel said, trying to console Jack, even as he knew that it was pretty much impossible. "Splitting up made sense."

"Not when people are hunting for you. There's safety in numbers."

"We don't even know if something's wrong. Maybe they found a lead and went to check it out."

Jack shook his head. "Not without telling us," he dismissed. 

"How? We don't exactly have an answering machine."

"We have radios."

"That have a limited range. What if they called in while we were on Thor's ship?"

"They could have left a note."

"And taped it to the stargate?"

"Yes."

"Did we even bring tape from Earth?"

"Daniel!" Jack growled a warning.

"I'm just saying. We're assuming the worst when, for all we know, they could have explored too far from the gate, got caught by nightfall and are holed up until planetary dawn."

"Or they could be in some Goa'uld's dungeon. Or maybe they got lost or are sick and can't make it back," Jack listed.

"And we'll find out tomorrow. Because, unless you're part cat, all we're going to accomplish by stumbling around in the dark is to get hurt or lost ourselves." Daniel got to his feet. "Not that I think I'm going to sleep, but I am going to lie down. And you should do the same," he advised. "If something's happened and one or both of them are hurt, it'll likely be a hell of a long walk getting them home." Daniel stared at his friend for a few seconds, sighing softly when Jack didn't move. 

He shrugged and retreated to his room, quickly shucking his boots and shirt, but otherwise remaining dressed.

Just in case, he told himself, just in case a call for help came he wanted to be ready as quickly as possible.

 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The manacle tugged at his wrist and Teal'c looked down, not surprised to see Major Carter examining it. The cuff around her wrist was made of a shiny metal and was perhaps a quarter inch thick and two inches wide. It was exactly like the cuff on his wrist, just a bit smaller.

She turned her wrist over, examining the catch. He believed that it was some sort of magnetic lock since he could not see any latching mechanism. As he watched, she pulled on the cuff, trying to slid it over her hand. He could see that the skin of her wrist was abraded and swollen. It had obviously been damaged when he'd fallen. His wrist bore similar marks, but he knew that his primta would heal it. Major Carter did not have the same assistance.

"It will not fit," he said, observing her tugging harder on the cuff. 

She looked up at him. "It would if I dislocated my thumb," she said. He raised his eyebrows. "They actually teach you that in survival school. If you dislocate your thumb you can sometimes free your hand. Of course, you also pretty much lose all use of said hand," she shrugged.

"That will not be necessary," he said. 

She looked up at him. "If I can get this cuff off, you'll be free. You can overpower him and we can go home."

"I do not believe that plan will be successful."

"Teal'c-"

"The front of the ship is protected by a small shield. Likely there to prevent such plans from being carried out. Our chance for escape lies after we have arrived but before we are sold. It would be best if we were both as well as possible." He looked at her. "Losing the use of one hand is a difficult obstacle to overcome." 

A look crossed her face and her eyes fell, darting away from his. He was aware of the guilt that she carried and the blame that she placed upon herself. Yet he did not have time to care about such trivial matters. If they were to escape they would need not only their wits, but luck as well. And they could not afford to be so lost in the past that it compromised their focus on the present.

"You should sleep," he said, focusing on her wan face, barely disguised by a layer of dirt and grime.

She shook her head, her protest cut short by a yawn. "I can take first watch," she offered.

Teal'c shook his head. "We have no need of watches. If Boch wished us dead, we would be."

"Teal'c-"

"I shall kelnoreem and you must sleep," he ordered. Surprisingly, she heeded his words. She maneuvered as much as she could, settling closer and letting her head resting on his arm. He watched until he felt her body relax before he closed his eyes, allowing his body to slip into a light state of meditation.

Kelnoreem would be preferable, however he did not wish to remove so much of his attention from his - their - present state. He had no illusions about their fate. Especially if Apophis was the instigator of the bounty. He would be tortured, likely to death, several times. His torment would be held publicly in order to be as much of an example as possible. After many days, perhaps weeks, he would be permitted to finally die, his head perhaps adorning a pike outside the palace - a rotting warning to any who would think to rebel.

Major Carter's fate would be even darker. If she was lucky, she would merely join Apophis' harem. A fate - while unpleasant - would not be unsurvivable. Teal'c knew that there were many in the harem who rarely, if ever, served time in Apophis' bed chamber.

No, Teal'c thought, remembering his friend's fair coloring and light eyes. She would not go unnoticed. And, even beyond that, she carried the memories of Jolinar within her. Memories buried so deep that the major barely comprehended them. But they would not be buried deep enough put them out of reach of a symbiote. 

Apophis would have her blended. He would have a symbiote and he would force it into her and she would spend the rest of her life a prisoner in her own body, forced to commit atrocities and cruelties.

Teal'c could not think of a worse fate. 

He opened his eye and glanced down at his slumbering friend. He could kill her. Even handicapped as he was, he could still kill her. Apophis did possess a sarcophagus, or did the last Teal'c knew. It was possible that it could revive her, however, even the magic of the sarcophagus had its limits. And long dead flesh - even a few hours old, did not reanimate well.

If he killed her now, she would likely be beyond the sarcophagus' ability to heal.  
He carefully raised his hand, moving slowly to lessen the clank of the chain. He possessed no weapon, save the chain that bound them together. He could strangle her with it. However, that method of execution would wake her and she would suffer.

He did not wish that.

If he had both hands, he could easily snap her neck. And perhaps he could with only one hand. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. If he was going to do this, he must do it correctly. He softly caressed her neck, his fingers finding the steady thrum of her heart beat. A small pinch would accomplish the deed. Pressure, if applied correctly to the neck, could suspend the flow of blood, thus suffocating her brain.

If he was careful, she likely would not even awaken. She would simply cross over - perish in her sleep.

Could he do it? Could he kill her, grant her the boon she had denied him - the right to die?

Perhaps it was as fate intended, for her to be denied that which she denied him? Or perhaps he was wrong. She would not want to die. She would want to remain alive, to hold out hope for a rescue that was unlikely to ever come.

O'Neill did not even know that they had been captured, much less by whom. Therefore, he would be unsure of where to start looking. And they no longer possessed the intelligence network of the Tok'ra and Asgard.

Word would eventually spread, Teal'c knew. Apophis would loudly brag when he tortured Teal'c to death, and O'Neill would then be able to discern Major Carter's location, but such intelligence could be delayed by weeks or even months. By then it was doubtful that, even if Major Carter still lived as a host, they would be able to rescue her.  
Yet, Teal'c knew that she would hold out hope. To her very dying breath, she would hold out hope of a rescue. That was a quirk of the Tau'ri. They would snatch life from death and cherish even the smallest piece.

  
_I just couldn't be alone._

  
He remembered her words, saw the pain and anguish in her eyes. Pain that he knew somehow had little to do with memories of her mother' death.

She hadn't meant to hurt him, he could see that now. She hadn't meant to deny him his death or consign him to a fate he loathed. She had merely been doing what humans did best, cheating death in favor of life.

He removed his hand, abandoning his intention to deliver mercy. He closed his eyes and again began to meditate. Whatever fate awaited them, they would face it together.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Solek stood, his eyes impatiently scanning the heavens. They were late and he did not like to be kept waiting. He had many duties that demanded his time and every moment spent on this abandoned rock was another moment that his schedule fell behind.

In an effort to ease his frustration, he began to pace, striding purposefully back and forth, never getting too far from the chaapai. His robes flapped annoyingly about his legs, complicated by the thigh high grass through which he walked, doing little to alleviate the frustration that burned in his belly.

The air was hot and heavy and held the promise of coming storms in the large billowing clouds just visible on the horizon. Insects and avians fluttered about and he allowed himself to be distracted for a moment, studying the colorful array of flying creatures. This planet had rich natural resources. Perhaps he would consider creating a dwelling here, a quiet, private place.

His musings were interrupted by the sharp crack of a ship entering the atmosphere. Quickly, Solek returned to the chaapai, seeking both to return to the agreed meeting place and to have access to the safety that escape through the chaapai could bring.

The teltac swept down from the sky, landing with a flourish just yards from the chaapai.   
Solek prepared himself, his hand drifting down to the pistol he wore on his belt in addition to the ribbon device adorning his hand. It was true that this bounty hunter promised to simply deliver his goods in exchange for his pay, but one could never be too careful. Unless of course, one wished to die before his time.

The door to the teltac opened and Solek stood ready, carefully scrutinizing the bounty hunter as he stepped out of his ship. "You're not Apophis," he said, raising his voice to yell across the fifteen yards between them.

"Apophis has better things to do than cater to the whims of others," Solek said. "I am authorized to act as his agent."

"You're aware of our bargain?"

"Roshna for humans," Solek said, rolling his eyes in distaste. "A bargain that shall be void if they are irreparably damaged."

"The Jaffa was damaged before I captured him, but they're alive," the bounty hunter said.

"Bring them out," Solek said. "I will not confirm a bargain before I can inspect what I am purchasing."

The bounty hunter retreated inside his ship and returned in just a couple of minutes, leading the two humans. Solek could see that they were Tau'ri and were both shackled to each other with thick chains.

Solek could see that they had not been captured easily. The female's face was dirty and her clothing was stained. An oddity caught his eye and Solek squinted, quixotically realizing that the Jaffa was missing a hand and wore a dark patch over one eye. This must have been the 'damage' that the bounty hunter had spoken of. 

Seeking a closer look, Solek walked forward, moving within just a couple of yards of the captives. The female looked up and Solek saw an odd expression cross her face as she stared at him. 

Angered at her impudence, he raised his left hand and fired off a blast of power, striking the ground at her feet. She cowered, taking a protective step back as dirt and small rocks flew into her face.. "I did not give you permission to look at me!" he said loudly. "You will learn your place, or you shall suffer the wrath of the gods!" He raised his hand, prepared to deliver another disciplining blow.

"They're not yours yet," the bounty hunter said, stepping forward, his hands on what Solek guessed was a weapon at his waist. "You can do what you want with them…after I get my payment."

Solek touched a control on his ribbon weapon, deactivating a cloaking device that hid the man's payment. He turned, visually confirming the four boxes that shimmered into existence. "Take it and go," Solek said. He stepped forward and held out his right hand, taking the chain from the bounty hunter. "Our business is now complete."

The man nodded. "I'd keep an eye on them if I were you. They're up to something," he warned.

Solek smiled. "I am well versed in disciplining humans. And they are no longer your concern."

The bounty hunter shrugged and set himself to retrieving his roshna, efficiently loading the substance into his ship. Within minutes, he was gone, his ship nothing more than a white streak in the cerulean sky.

"You know, kiddo. If you'd have minded me this well when you were growing up, I'd probably have more hair now," Jacob said, abandoning his Goa'uld persona.

Teal'c smiled and Sam finally looked up, her grin about as big as he'd ever seen it. "How the hell did you manage this one?" she asked, stepping forward and allowing him to wrap her in a hug.

"It's a long story." He looked at Teal'c, his eye pointedly lingering on the man's injuries.   
"And I think you have an even longer one to tell me. Namely why you aren't on Earth anymore and how'd you end up tangling with a piece of garbage like that?"

She sighed. "Like you said, it's a very long story."

"One best discussed in safer surroundings," Teal'c said pointedly.

Sam nodded. "Let's go home."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

"We're leaving as soon as you're packed," Jack ordered, hearing the gate snap shut behind him.

"Jack-"

"Daniel, we have a day's flight in front of us. You can catch some sleep then," he interrupted, glancing back to see Daniel catching up with him.

"So can you," Daniel said. "And I wasn't protesting leaving, I WAS going to say that we better make sure we grab the med kit and leave a note just in case they make it back while we're gone."

Jack sighed, biting his lip to keep from saying that there'd be no need to leave a note. The chances of Carter and Teal'c making it back on their own was about as good as Earth calling them up with an engraved invitation to come back home to a ticker tape parade. If Daniel wanted to be positive, let him be positive. One of them needed to be.  
They'd spent all day searching the planet, walking mile after mile, digging through ruin after ruin, desperately seeking some sign of their friends.

And they'd found nothing. Well, nearly nothing. They had found the temple and definitely found signs of their friends. The newly blown up wall being one clear indication that they'd been there. And he knew that they'd gotten out. And that they hadn't blown themselves up in the process, the lack of icky smears on the walls being a clear indication of their survival.

Then where the hell were they?

Jack thought of Thor's gift and wondered if he should use it. Thor would WANT to help, but could he? If a Goa'uld had them, Thor wouldn't stick his nose in, the council wouldn't allow it.

The Tok'ra would. If he knew how to contact them.

Ever since they'd split from Earth, they'd kept a low profile, avoiding their allies, especially the Tok'ra. And now, knowing that Earth had it in for them, Jack was glad that they'd made a clean break.

But, if it gave him a chance to get his people back, he could definitely risk it. Hell, at the very least he'd think that Jacob…Jack stopped dead at the thought of Sam's father. Jacob. He'd have to tell Jacob what had happened, tell him that he'd lost his daughter.

"Jack?" Jack looked up to see Daniel in front of him and looking back. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jack said, not in the mood to broach the topic. 

Daniel stared at him for a few seconds, then he turned and resumed his trek back to the cabin. Jack followed, unable to deny the nausea that threatened at the thought of telling Jacob what had happened.

"Jack…."

"I'm fine, Daniel," Jack growled.

"Good, did you leave the door open?"

Jack frowned, directing his attention to their cabin, just visible in the distance. The front door was open, and Jack remembered very clearly closing it when they'd left this morning. "I didn't," he said.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Daniel said slowly. "They made it back," he said. He hurried forward, stopping only when Jack lunged out, grabbing his arm to hold him back. "Jack?"

"It might not be them."

Daniel sighed. "We were out of sight of the gate for hours. We could easily have missed each other."

"And we were out of sight of this gate all day. There can be anyone in there," Jack said. "We're going to check it out, but we're not going to just walk in."

Daniel nodded, accepting his proclamation. Now alert, they made their way towards the cabin, both moving slowly and cautiously.

Jack studied the cabin, hoping to get some clue as to what was going on. He didn't see any movement around the cabin, so it was possible that, while someone had been in their home, no one was now.

They moved closer and Jack signaled to Daniel to move to the other side of the cabin. He drew his gun and crept towards the cabin. He strained his ears, seeking to hear any voices that could give him a clue.

His eyes caught sight of a flash of movement and he froze, his gaze shooting over to Daniel. Jack held up his fist, signaling for Daniel to freeze even as he crouched down, seeking to present as small a target as possible. Daniel did the same and Jack turned his attention back to the cabin. Someone was in there. Jack could hear the scraping of chairs and the creak of the floorboards. It was possible that they were just facing a simple scavenger, someone like them, searching for supplies and valuables.

"We should take the ship," he heard a woman's raised voice, just audible from inside. "Something had to have happened or they'd be here." Recognizing the voice, Jack smiled, standing upright and motioning for Daniel to join him.

"It is merely possible that O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are exploring the third planet on our list."

Jack stepped across the threshold of the cabin and walked in. "And it's just as possible that we were out looking for you two," he said, lowering the pistol although he didn't holster it.

Much to his relief, his hopes were confirmed. Carter and Teal'c sat at the table, both looking healthy if a bit roughed up. Surprisingly, he also saw Jacob. The man glanced up, obviously occupied treating some injury of Carter's. Jacob held his daughter's arm in his hands and was wrapping it with what Jack knew to be the last of their bandages. Jack saw a length of chain lying on the table, along with two opened cuffs. He glanced at Teal'c, barely catching sight of a patch of abraded skin at the man's wrist. Whatever had delayed the pair, someone else had been involved.

"Colonel."

"O'Neill."

"See, told ya," Jacob said. "These two were about ten minutes from running off to look for you," he reported. "And if it hadn't been for the chains, we'd already be gone."

"Sam. Teal'c." Daniel pushed past Jack to greet them. "You're okay."

"Daniel, we're fine," Sam said.

"Relatively speaking," Jacob corrected.

"What happened?" Jack asked, finally relaxing. He holstered his pistol and sat down, watching with amusement while Daniel busied himself, raiding the larder to set some food down on the table since it was obvious that, in their haste to free themselves, they hadn't gotten around to eating yet.

"Earth's wanted list isn't the only one we're on," Sam said, nodding her thanks to Daniel when he put a loaf of bread in front of her. She awkwardly tore off a chunk with one hand and crammed it into her mouth.

"Apophis has also placed a monetary reward upon our capture," Teal'c said, also helping himself to the food.

"All four of you actually," Jacob said, finishing his work on Sam's arm and claiming his own seat around the table. He too helped himself to the food, sampling not just the bread but some dried meat too. The five of them made short work of the simple meal as Jack gave into the hunger that replaced the sick, queasy feeling that had plagued him for the past day and a half. 

"That was why I was kinda glad to see the SGC shut down, once I got over the fact that no one bothered to tell me," Jacob growled pointedly. 

"We tried," Jack said. "But we didn't exactly have a lot of time."

"I told you, Dad. We had to cut all ties," Sam said.

Jacob nodded, obviously not fond of the circumstances, but letting it slide for now. "They ran across a bounty hunter named Aris Boch," he explained. "He was going to sell them to Apophis, fortunately Solek got the message instead and intercepted them," Jacob said, gesturing towards himself.

Jack looked at Jacob, making a bit of a show of examining the man's robes. "Solek's got a rather eclectic fashion sense."

Jacob shrugged. "Ya gotta do what ya gotta do."

"Jacob Carter secured our release and returned with us here," Teal'c explained. 

"Way to go Solek," Daniel said, finally taking a seat.

"How does that temple we found all blown up fit into this?" Jack asked, seeking to put a couple more puzzle pieces into place.

"We thought we'd found something important, but it was a trap. We had to use the last of the C4 to get out of it, and the bounty hunter was waiting for us just outside," Sam explained.

"This Boch has a bit of a reputation for setting traps," Jacob said. "It's how he makes his living. Usually he just catches small time crooks or little annoyances. I honestly don't think he meant to catch them, they just kinda fell into his lap." 

Jack picked up the pair of manacles lying on the table. "Did a little shopping while you were at it?" Carter refused to answer but made a face while Teal'c raised his eyebrow. 

"Right," Jack said, accepting the dismissal. He clapped and then rubbed his hands together. "I think we can forget about the whole search thing," he said to Daniel. "And you two look like you could use a good night's sleep. How about we all call it a night and we can hear all about it in the morning," he suggested.

"Aah, Jack," Daniel said. "I'm sorry, Jacob, but we're not exactly set up for guests." Jacob raised his eyebrows.

"He means that we only have four beds," Jack said. "Jacob, you can take mine. I can go crash on the teltac tonight."

"You have a teltac?" Jacob asked.

"Kinda picked it up along the way. We can tell you all about it in the morning." Jack got to his feet, effectively putting an end to the conversation. It took them just minutes to clean up the remnants of their meal and for them to head their separate ways.

Jack quietly slipped outside, pausing a moment to simply enjoy the relief at having his friends back together before walking the short distance to their hidden teltac. He went inside and efficiently made his 'bed' as he acknowledged that it was a euphemistic term at best for a sleeping bag spread out over an air mattress.

Stripping down to his shorts, he laid down, relief and exhaustion allowing him to fall asleep within minutes.

He slept for several hours, his body clock awakening him soon after planetary dawn. He rolled off the mattress and got to his feet, groaning softly as he worked out the normal kinks. He pulled on his pants and shirt. His shaving gear was still in the cabin so he walked barefoot across the small clearing and slipped into the cabin to retrieve it. Jacob was still asleep in his bed, the man snoring softly.

Jack grabbed his kit and went back outside, his destination the stream a short distance from the cabin. Movement caught his eye and he caught sight of Carter sitting on a rock. She had obviously just come from the stream. Her hair was damp and there were dark spots on her shirt "Hey," he called out.

"Morning," she said. She had a habit of waking up earlier than the rest of them and taking the first turn at the stream. If the three of them woke up before she got back, they'd wait, giving her privacy. Then, while she cooked whatever they'd have for breakfast, the three of them would take their turn. It was a pattern they'd reverse in the evening, the three men taking turns cooking.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat beside her. His eyes flitted over the bruises and scrapes on her arms. Bruises and scrapes that had been concealed the evening before.

"Not bad," she said. "Although I'd love a long hot bath." Her wrapped left wrist was cradled in her lap and she rubbed it gently, obviously trying to ease the discomfort of the injury.

Jack nodded, sympathizing. If the bruises he could see were any indication to the others she probably had, then yeah, a soak in a hot bath would go a long ways in loosening up stiff muscles. "I was thinking, we might take a day off."

"A day off?"

"Teal'c and I can go do a little hunting, you and Daniel can chill. Maybe Jacob even knows of some planets we can check out," he suggested.

"So you didn't find anything?" she asked.

"I wouldn't say that." He looked at her. "We ran into Thor."

"Really?"

He nodded and quickly filled her in, telling her about his and Daniel's discoveries, and the fact that they hadn't been able to keep any of it. "So, it was pretty much a bust," he finished.

"But you got the communication stone from Thor," she said. "That's something."

He shrugged. "Better than nothing, but…."

"Not quite what we needed," she finished.

"Yeah."

She shifted and grimaced, her breath hissing between her teeth as she cradled her wrist. Jack reached into his shaving kit and pulled out a small packet of pills. He handed them to her. "Here."

She shook her head. "It's okay."

"Carter, take the pills," he said, holding the small foil packet in front of her.

"We may need them later," she demurred.

"Carter, take the damn pills!" he ordered sharply. She gasped and looked over at him, a flash of fear crossing her face.

  
_His fingers dug painfully into her hair, smiling softly at her weak gasp of pain. 'Shall I tell you how much my host hates you? How annoying he finds you? How much your prattle irritates him? Do you know he's fantasized about shutting you up?' She closed her eyes and he growled, releasing her to let her fall back onto the floor._

_He got to his feet and paced, stomping over to the table and pouring himself a goblet of wine. Damned irritating female. She refused to give him pleasure._

_Jack listened to the snake rail and he smiled, unable to deny the pride he felt as Sam refused to give into Ba'al. But his pride was tempered by fear and disgust._

_He struggled to take control, fought to reclaim his body. Ba'al fought back, digging deeper into Jack's mind, forcing his way into the dark corners that Jack did his best to ignore. Corners that Jack was happy to forget and abandon._

_Ba'al delved deep, pushing Jack aside as easily as one would bat at a fly. Ba'al laughed, reveling in Jack's pain. 'So much pain. So much darkness. So much wonderful knowledge,' Ba'al gloated, as he dug through Jack's painful memories._

_He seized upon one very dark time and chuckled, setting the goblet down. 'So many ways to kill,' Ba'al said, again standing over Sam._

_She opened her eyes and looked up at him. 'Colonel, fight it,' she said. 'You know you can fight it. Fight him!'_

_Jack felt himself smile. 'There's nothing left to fight,' he said. 'He's dead.'_

_'What?'_

_'He's dead. Ba'al's dead,' Ba'al said, using Jack's own voice. He reached down and offered her a hand up, assisting her to her feet._

_'I can still feel him,' she said, looking at him skeptically even as she wavered on her feet._

_'And I can feel the leftovers of Jolinar in you. Guess I finally get to join the 'creepy feeling' fan club.' He smiled disarmingly and she relaxed a bit although she still held herself tense._

_Jack struggled, fighting to regain control. He yelled and screamed, doing everything he could to warn her. She couldn't trust him. Come on, Sam. Don't trust him. Don't trust me. 'There's no way Daniel let you and Teal'c come alone. Where are they?'_

_She shook her head. 'I'm not sure.'_

_'Come on, Carter. You probably have their position calculated down to the last centimeter,' he said._

_She frowned and stared at him, her eyes narrowing. 'Are you feeling okay?'_

_'I'm just fine,' Ba'al said. 'Although my host is having a bit of a bad day.' His hand struck out and wrapped itself around her throat and Ba'al laughed, amused at the terror that crossed her face._

_Her hands came up and grasped his, her short fingernails digging into his skin. He could feel her gasping under his hand, her throat pulsing as she struggled to breathe. Her eyes were wide with pain and betrayal._

_'Do you know how much my host revels in watching you struggle?' Ba'al said. 'He knows so many ways to kill. So many wonderful methods of eliminating those that he hates. This is a particularly favorite fantasy of his.'_

_Tears welled up in her eyes and Ba'al released her, throwing her several feet across the room. Jack yelled and cursed, disgust at what he'd become nearly overwhelming him. He heard Sam cough and didn't know if he felt relief or horror that she was still alive._

_Ba'al stepped to stand over her and she looked up, struggling to move away from him. Fear mingled with hatred and Jack felt a pain worse than anything Ba'al had done when she cowered from him, feebly trying to get away. 'My host has years of wonderful experience to draw from. And you, my dear Samantha, have no idea how much he will enjoy killing you again and again and again.'_

"Sam," Jack said, softening his voice as he banished the memories. "Take them, please. It's stupid to hoard them until they expire and aren't any good." He couldn't deny the past and he couldn't change it. The most he could hope for was to atone as much as he could.

She reached out and took the packet from him, folding it into her good hand. "Thanks," she said softly. "Dad didn't have his healing stone with him so…."

Jack nodded. "You know, I bet you could go with Jacob, maybe spend some time with the Tok'ra," he suggested.

"What?" She looked over at him.

Jack shrugged, keeping his voice light. "Think of it like a vacation. Log a little time on a friendly planet. They might even have some ideas on that shield we want to build. You could even take Daniel with you. I'll bet he'd jump at the chance for some sort of cultural exchange or something."

"What about you and Teal'c?"

Jack shrugged again. "I can't speak for the big guy but I've never been a big fan of tunnels. We'll stay here. Maybe keep up with our exploring."

She nodded slowly. "So that's it? Dump the dead weight as soon as you can?"

"What?"

"You know, if you didn't want me here, you could have just said so back on Earth. Hell, you could have just ignored that whole goodbye bit and just vanished." She shot to her feet. "I'd have found out eventually of course. Probably when the NID broke down my front door, but you'd have been long gone by then."

"Carter-"

"Don't 'Carter' me!" she interrupted. "Why did you even come and see me if you didn't want me here?"

"What makes you think I don't want you here?"

"You're pretty damn eager to get rid of me. It's probably too bad that Teal'c was with me yesterday or that bounty hunter coulda just sold me to Apophis and you wouldn't have to worry about it anymore!" she ranted.

"God! Stop!" Jack yelled, getting to his feet. "Where the hell do you get the idea that I want you dead?" he demanded, horrified by her words. "I'm not trying to get rid of you, for crying out loud. I'm trying to keep you safe. It was bad enough when we knew that we'd just pissed off a few people but god only knows how many other bounty hunters there are out there hunting us. At least with the Tok'ra you'll have someone to watch your back," he explained.

"What about you and Teal'c? Why won't you come?"

"Because I don't see them welcoming an ex-System Lord and a former First Prime with open arms," Jack said softly. "We'll stay here and work on beefing up security. The two of you can come back once it's safe." 

All of a sudden he regretted giving into his impulsive idea. He never should have suggested it to her, rather talked to Jacob. Chances are if Jacob had asked her to come, she never would have questioned it. He could chalk this up to one more thing he screwed up.

She smiled grimly, her earlier anger fading. "With all due respect, Colonel, I know you picked up a lot of knowledge from Ba'al. Probably more than you'll ever admit to. But I really doubt you can build this shield without us. And who the hell is going to watch YOUR back while you do?"

"Carter-"

"Besides, how do we know that Apophis hasn't already infiltrated the Tok'ra?" she asked. "Theoretically, any one of them could turn us in."

"You two are up early." Jack turned around, not surprised to see Daniel and Teal'c joining them.

"No earlier than usual," Jack said.

"At a greater volume than usual," Teal'c said pointedly.

Sam glanced down, her face coloring slightly. "The Colonel and I were having a little discussion."

"Is that what they're calling it now?" Daniel asked.

"He thinks you and I should go with Dad and stay with the Tok'ra," she told Daniel.

"Why?"

"Because we'll be so much safer," she said sarcastically.

"We will?"

"It was my understanding that the Tok'ra live in a constant state of readiness and could be attacked by the System Lords at any time," Teal'c said.

"They do," Sam confirmed, shooting a victorious glance at Jack.

"That doesn't sound safer to me," Daniel said.

"It isn't."

"It's a damn sight safer than here!" Jack said, raising his voice to stop the bickering.

"This planet seems pretty safe to me."

"Me too," Sam agreed with Daniel.

"The gate was unattended for over thirteen hours yesterday," Jack said. "Anybody could have come through and we'd never know. Hell, there could be a whole platoon of Jaffa hiding in the woods and we'd have no idea until they started shooting."

"It is unlikely that a platoon of Jaffa would remain unnoticed for so long," Teal'c said. Jack glared at him. "However, a small patrol could possible accomplish such a feat of stealth.

"SEE!" Jack said, latching onto Teal'c's words.

"And you think throwing down with the Tok'ra is any safer?" Daniel asked.

"It's not," Sam said bitterly. "They're not going to do us any favors." She looked at Jack. "The only reason we found out that you were alive is because my DAD found out that you were alive. And if Korra and Martouf hadn't have recognized you, he never would have known. As it was, my dad went against the council to tell us, they wanted to keep it a secret so that there would be no fallout when they decided to assassinate you. I'd rather stay here and risk being found out than seek refuge in a pit of vipers."

"Me too," Daniel agreed.

"Dal shaka mel," Teal'c said. "I shall die free and with a sun upon my face than cowering in a tunnel like a rodent," he declared.

"We'll still take the day off," Sam said. "You and Teal'c can go hunting or fishing or whatever. Daniel and I will talk with my dad. Maybe he or Selmac know of some planets we can search. If not, we'll just go to number three on the list."

Jack looked at the three of them. He should be angry. He should be railing at their mutiny and Carter just taking over, but he couldn't. He was both heartened and discouraged by their words.

Their loyalty touched him to the core. It was a gift that he no longer deserved. But it terrified him as well. What if he was wrong? What if they were wrong? What if they were denying a chance at safety to put themselves in harm's way? What if their faith in him got them all killed?

Could he live with that? Would he even want to try?

"Sounds like a plan to me," Daniel said, looking at Jack. "Sam, if you're done at the stream, we're gonna go get cleaned up then I think your dad wants to try and cook something."

"He's not?" Sam asked, grimacing.

"Major Carter?"

"You thought my cooking was bad. Who do you think I learned it from?"

"Oh man," Daniel groaned. There was a very real reason that Carter cooked breakfast every morning. There was only so much she could do to toast.

"You," Jack ordered, pointing at her. "Back to the house. Keep him from ruining whatever food stores we have. We'll be there as soon as we can."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
He watched them at they stood there, the four of them chatting so casually in the clearing. He could kill them right now if he wished. It would not be difficult. They were only human after all. Human and Jaffa.

No, he would not kill them now. There would be little satisfaction in a quick and painless death.

They would suffer. Suffer long and suffer well. And then they would die. One by one by one.

/\/\/\/\/\

  
"You're sure these planets are abandoned?" Daniel asked, looking over the list of addresses lying on the table.

"Very," Jacob said. "The last time some of those planets were occupied was at least three hosts ago."

"And no one's protecting them or anything?" Sam asked.

Jacob shook his head. "Not as far as we know. The Tok'ra sometimes use them as meeting places. Neutral ground for an exchange." He leaned back on the bench he sat on, a glass of water in his hand.

"They could be good places to check out," Sam said, getting to her feet and taking her father's cup from him. She refilled it from the bucket on the edge of their sink and handed it back to him. "Presuming they haven't already been raided and salvaged."

"You know, kiddo, none of this has to happen. You guys could come and stay with the Tok'ra," Jacob offered, taking the cup from her. "I'm sure Garshaw would love to give you refuge."

"Would she?" Sam asked pointedly.

"What Sam means is that, umm, we're not sure if your alliance with Earth could allow you to harbor fugitives," Daniel said.

"That's not quite what she meant," Jacob said, staring at his daughter.

"Quite frankly, Dad, I think the only thing that would motivate Garshaw to give us sanctuary would be the prospect of two future hosts," she said.

Jacob closed his eyes and sighed. "Sam-"

"So," Daniel interrupted. "When would be a good time to check out one of these planets?" he asked, seeking to forestall the impending argument. 

Jacob stared at his daughter for a few seconds then shook his head slightly, almost as if he was internally dismissing the argument. "We can go whenever you'd like." He looked over to Daniel. "The planets are abandoned and I don't know of any meetings the Tok'ra have scheduled."

"We should check with the Colonel. See what he wants to do," Sam said.

"Fair enough," Jacob shrugged. He got to his feet, setting down his cup of water. "Since I don't think we're going anywhere today, I might go back to the Tok'ra. I need to check in and let them know about Solek's run in with the bounty hunter." He looked at Sam.   
"Mind if I come back in the morning and go with you to these planets?" he asked. "If you happen to run into a Tok'ra, we could help smooth things over if it gets too hairy."

"That would be great, Dad, thanks," Sam smiled. It was fairly obvious to Daniel that she was struggling to keep her feelings about the Tok'ra from interfering - too much - with her relationship with her father.

Jacob nodded, seeming to accept the boundaries. "I'll be back in the morning."

Daniel waved as he walked out the door then turned his attention back to Sam. Not surprisingly, she ignored him, getting up from her seat on the bench and carrying their dirty cups over to their sink.

The sink wasn't hooked up to any real plumbing per se, the drain was little more than a pipe that ran out a small hole in the wall and emptied out about fifty feet from their cabin. As such, it meant that they really couldn't use the sink for any real food disposal but it was a quick and easy way to get any clean water out of the building without simply tossing it off the porch.

"You know, if these planets are half as good as Jacob says, we could scavenge enough to keep us going for quite a while," Daniel said, bringing his cup over to the sink.

"If these planets are half as good as he says they are, how come they haven't been scavenged all ready?" she shot back.

"Maybe people were too afraid of pissing off the Tok'ra," he suggested. She glared and took the cup from him, rinsing it out and wiping it off with a rag before setting it aside to dry. "You know," he started carefully. "Jack and Teal'c won't be back for a few more hours." She glanced over at him. "I kinda had a long day yesterday and I know that you and Teal'c did and, you know," he shrugged. "We could, maybe, take a nap."

"And when they come back and find us asleep. We'll never hear the end of it," she said.

"They went hunting," he said, making quote marks. "Do you honestly think they're awake right now?" he retorted.

She smiled softly. "Am I really that grumpy?"

Daniel shrugged. "I am kinda glad you're not armed at the moment," he said. 

Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I am tired," she confessed.

"We have at least three or four hours before they come back. Plenty of time to veg out for a little bit."

"That sounds good," she agreed. The pair of them made their way towards their bedrooms, stopping when the front door flew open. Daniel turned back, frowning when he saw Jacob in the doorway.

"That was fast," Daniel said, glancing at his watch.

"Dad? What's going on? I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow."

"Neither did I. Until I realized that the Stargate won't work."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c slid his knife into the creature's flesh and pulled it down, careful to not penetrate the carcass too deeply. He slit the creature open, allowing a portion of its insides to spill out, dangling like a twisted piece of rope. 

"With whom are you truly incensed?" he asked O'Neill, sparing the man a glance.

He squatted a short distance away, using his knife to clean the hide of the creature they had just killed. They had no name for the species as of yet. The quadruped herbivores were plentiful here and were a constant and reliable source of meat that tasted more like venison than chicken. "Major Carter for not seeking refuge with the Tok'ra or you for denying yourself the same refuge?"

"Drop it, T," O'Neill said, scraping the membranes off the hide.

"I concur with her feelings about the Tok'ra," Teal'c continued, nonplused by his friend's mood. "Many of them are loyal and earnest fighters. However, as with any rebel group, there are those amongst them that are easily corrupted. While the Tok'ra as a whole may fight for freedom, there are doubtless others with less altruistic intentions."

"I know."

Teal'c reached into the creature's chest cavity and carefully scooped out the internal organs, taking care not to contaminate the meat with the contents of the creature's intestine. He and O'Neill had killed several of the creatures in the year they had lived on the planet and had a system to their harvesting of the meat. They had already drained the creature's blood, hanging it by its hind legs from a high tree branch and slitting its neck. The blood ran down a small embankment and collected at the bottom, drawing many of the planet's insects from the main carcass.

Once he removed the organs, he and O'Neill would bury them and then carry the carcass and hide back to the cabin. They hoped that this practice would limit the attraction to the planet's main predator, a large canine similar to Earth's wolf. They did not need to hunt often. Even if the four of them had meat on a daily basis, a single quadruped would be sufficient for their needs for several weeks. It was also wasteful to obtain more meat than they could consume before it became inedible.

"We should get back," O'Neill said, finishing with the hide. He got to his feet, pulling a few large leaves from a nearby bush to wipe off his knife. "I'd like to get cleaned up before it gets dark."

Teal'c nodded, sharing his friend's desire to cleanse himself of the residue of a hunt. His hands were smeared with blood and fluids and his clothing was dirty, the result of tracking the animal for several miles through the bush.

O'Neill stepped towards him. "I'll go get rid of that," he offered, gesturing towards the pile of entrails. "Seeing as how you need to carry that back."

Teal'c nodded, accepting the man's gesture. O'Neill scooped up the offal, grimacing at the smell. "I miss supermarkets," he muttered, carefully carrying the entrails a short distance away while Teal'c cut down the carcass and laid it on the hide. He would wrap the carcass in the hide, thus providing himself a more comfortable means to carry the carcass back to their homestead.

"Teal'c!" 

He heard O'Neill's voice and stood up, the man's tone telling him that this was no simple summons. Teal'c made his way towards O'Neill, finding the man just yards away. "O'Neill?"

"Did we come this way?" he asked.

"I do not believe so."

O'Neill nodded. "Nobody picked up any new shoes at the market did they?"

"No."

"So we're all still wearing the stuff we brought from Earth."

"Footwear wise, yes."

"Then we got trouble." He gestured with his hand and pointed out a shape in a bare patch of dirt. 

Teal'c squatted down and examined the foot print more closely. "This was not made by any of us," he proclaimed. "That is an alien shoe, handmade and with a soft sole." He looked up at O'Neill. "This footprint is fresh, one, maybe two days old."

"To hell with the meat," O'Neill said. "Let's get back to the cabin."

Teal'c got to his feet, falling into step behind O'Neill as the man hurried forward, unerringly making his way towards their cabin. Unburdened by their kill, they would be able to cover the distance in a fraction of the time it had taken them to track and kill the creature. Teal'c could only hope that it would be fast enough.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam stood in front of the DHD and pressed her fingers down on the glyphs, frowning when there was no expected thunking sound and the glyphs didn't light up.

"It was working fine yesterday," Daniel said.

"Yeah, it was," Sam agreed, slowly walking around the DHD. She looked up at her father. "Dad, does Selmac know anything about DHD's messing up?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not that she can recall. They're actually pretty sturdy."

"They'd have to be to stay outside all the time." She ignored them and squatted down beside the DHD, her fingers seeking out the tiny seam of the access door. She pulled it open and set it aside, squinting to see into the dark interior. 

"Maybe we need to do the 'control/alt/delete' thing," Daniel suggested.

"It's not a computer," Jacob said. "In fact the crystalline structure of the DHD is more stable than anything Earth has."

"As long as pieces don't go missing," Sam said, looking up at the pair.

"What?"

"The control crystal is gone," she said.

"Where'd it go?" Daniel asked. He looked around.

"It wouldn't just be lying on the ground," Sam said. "They don't just fall out. They have to be taken out."

"Taken?"

"Taken."

"I thought you said this planet was unoccupied?" Jacob asked.

"It is," Sam confirmed.

"Then Jack-"

"Wouldn't have taken it," Sam interrupted. "Besides, removing the control crystal doesn't keep a gate from forming inbound, it just keeps you from dialing out. That's why Earth's gate works without a DHD attached. You only pull the crystal if you want to keep someone from leaving a planet."

"Sam?"

Sam looked over at her friend, the Colonel's words playing through her brain. 

The gate was unattended for over thirteen hours yesterday. Anybody could have come through and we'd never know.

"We need to get back to the cabin," she said. "We're sitting ducks out here in the open."

"Jack and Teal'c?"

"They didn't take their radios. We'll go back to the cabin and secure it and wait for them," she said.

"What if they don't make it back?" Jacob asked.

"They'll make it back," Sam said. "Let's go."

The three of them retraced their steps back to the cabin, their mood a far cry from the concerned curiosity of just a few minutes before. Sam resisted the urge to run, knowing that, if someone was hunting them, speed would only increase their chances of falling into a trap. 

The knee high grass that she usually found so appealing now felt claustrophobic as it waved gently in the breeze. Anyone or anything could be hiding in it, lurking, waiting to strike. The shadow of the nearby trees felt chillingly spooky instead of peaceful and serene. She never realized just how many hiding places and ambush sites lurked between the gate and the cabin until now. Every bush could hide a threat, every tree a menace.

She now regretted leaving her weapons behind at the cabin and realized just how vulnerable they were, walking across the large meadow, totally unarmed.

"I think I know where they're at I could go-

"No," she interrupted Daniel. "No one goes off alone."

"There's your teltac," Jacob suggested. "We could take it up, scan for life signs."

Sam shook her head. "I doubt it'd work. There's just enough animal life here that the sensors are pretty useless."

"We should still check it out," Jacob said. "Make sure it hasn't been tampered with."

"It's locked. Voice activation only. Priority one is the cabin and our weapons," she declared. She searched her brain, trying to think of anything odd that she'd noticed in the past day or so. Any odd noises or creepy feelings, anything that would have alerted her to an intruder.

She came up with nothing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or odd; nothing seemed off color or different. Everything seemed normal. "I must be getting rusty," she muttered as the cabin came into view. 

She crouched down in the grass and studied the cabin, searching for some sign of movement. Seeing nothing, she sighed. "Okay. We're going to go in the front door, room by room search. We'll start with the bedrooms and secure the weapons. Then we'll lock and bar the doors and windows and secure the perimeter," she briefed.

"Is it safe to all go in at once?" Jacob asked.

"Is it safe to be out here on your own?" she shot back. Jacob merely shrugged, keeping his protests to himself. Sam met Daniel and Jacob's gaze, motioning for them to move out. They crept through the grass, keeping low as they approached the cabin. She crept onto the small stoop, ducking low to peer around the threshold.

Seeing no one, she gestured for Daniel and Jacob to follow her as she made her way back to their bedrooms. The Colonel's was the closest and she ducked in, grabbing his phase pistol off the table beside the bed.

Taking the lead, they checked out Daniel's room next, retrieving his weapon and then Teal'c's spare staff weapon. It took them just a few minutes to finish sweeping the cabin. They secured the doors and windows, sealing themselves in the now too small building.

"This is gonna get real cozy, real fast," Jacob said.

Sam glared at him. "Daniel, inventory the food. Dad, the Colonel and Teal'c should be coming from the north. Keep an eye open for them."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, moving to look out the north facing window.

She grinned. "See what weapons I can scrounge."

She made her way back to the Colonel's room. She knew that he had a few weapons in addition to his phase pistol. He'd have his knife with him and the projectile weapon he used for hunting. Teal'c would have his bow, but they'd scrounged a few other things in the past year that could help in their defense, among them some shock grenades and another bow.

She needed to grab her sidearm too. Even though it was low on ammunition, it could still come in handy. The Colonel's bedroom was just like theirs. Perhaps twelve by twelve feet square. Each of the rooms opened out into a shared hall with two rooms on each side. Each had two windows and a shared wall. Separate rooms probably wasn't the most efficient way to live, it meant that they had to heat five rooms in the winter, but they all agreed that they needed their private space. They each needed somewhere to go and be alone. And Sam had agreed with the Colonel that if they had to share the same space 24/7, well chances are that not all of them would have survived the last winter.

The privacy of their rooms was something that they each respected and it had been months since Sam had even looked into the Colonel's. His room was sparsely furnished like hers, consisting of a bed that was close to twin sized, a trunk for clothes, an open closet and a small table holding a basin and pitcher. His spare pair of boots stood in the corner along with the fishing spear he'd made a few months ago. 

Sam's eye caught sight of a box under his bed. She knelt down and pulled it out, the box sliding easily over the plank flooring. It had to be where he kept his small weapons stash. She opened the lid and stared, scarcely believing her eyes. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered, pulling out the control crystal and holding it carefully in her hands.

Was the Colonel playing some kind of sick joke? Was he trying to make some stupid point about her and Daniel not leaving?

_'You're a snake head.'_

No, Ba'al was dead. He didn't control the Colonel any more than Jolinar controlled her.

_'I know you picked up a lot of knowledge from Ba'al, probably more than you'll ever admit to.'_

Sam shook her head. Pulling the control crystal was DHD 101. Everyone knew about it, even Daniel. Maybe he just got confused and thought that pulling the crystal would disable the gate totally? Maybe he-

"You always were too damned curious." Sam spun, getting to her feet, the crystal still in her hands. "That's why I went grey so early. I spent too many years chasing you down."

Sam stared, the tone of her father's voice sending shivers down her spine. "Dad, what's going on? I thought you were keeping an eye out for the Colonel and Teal'c." Jacob stepped towards her and Sam caught a glimpse of a knife in his hand. "Dad?"

"You were supposed to be last," he said. "We owed you that much. But I'm afraid someone else will have that honor now."

Sam stared as he advanced towards her, her brain refusing to accept what she'd just heard. This had to be some joke, some game they were playing. Daniel was probably right outside the door and was going to step in and start laughing and-

He got within feet of her and she reacted, tossing the crystal at him. She had to distract him, he was between her and the door and, now that the windows were barred, it was the only way out of the room.

He batted the crystal aside and lunged at her, his hand grabbing her injured wrist. She cried out as the flash of pain disoriented her, making her stumble. Fire tore through her belly and she stared, seeing nothing but hatred and satisfaction glittering in his eyes.  
He released her and she staggered, her hands going down to her abdomen. Sticky warmth poured over her fingertips and her knees buckled, sending her to the floor.

He knelt over her, pulling her head back to force her to look at him. The knife hovered over her throat, dripping with her own blood. "I wish I had the time to watch you die," he said. 

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel surveyed the pantry, making a mental note of their supplies. They had a decent amount, but nothing near enough to withstand any sort of siege, especially with five mouths to feed. He guessed they could get by a week, maybe a little more.

"Water's gonna be our big issue," he said, eyeing the half full bucket.

They never kept too much water in the cabin, fearing that if it sat around for too long it would become tainted. They each had a pitcher in their rooms, water that they would use for sponge baths and a couple of buckets in the kitchen for cooking and cleaning.

Water storage was one thing on their 'to do' list, something that had become an issue last winter when they'd nearly been cut off from their water supply by a sudden and heavy snow storm. Fortunately, it hadn't stayed too cold too long and they'd had enough snow to tide them over. But Jack had wanted to build some sort of cistern. 

"I wonder what Sam will say about us going down to the stream and getting some water," he asked Jacob. Getting no reply, Daniel turned around, surprised not to see the man at his post by the window. "Jacob?"

He heard Sam cry out and his heart lurched. Snagging his pistol off the table he hurried back towards the bedrooms. They must be under attack. Maybe that was why Jacob had left his post. But why hadn't he said anything?

Jack's bedroom was the only one with an open door and Daniel hurried forward, stopping in horror at what he saw. Sam was lying crumpled on the floor, a spreading stain of blood painting her shirt a garish red. Jacob knelt over her, the fingers of one hand cruelly twisted into her hair while his other hand clutched a knife that he held at her throat.

"I wish I had time to watch you die," he said, moving the knife closer to her skin.

"JACOB!"

The man turned, his eyes narrowing in speculation. Daniel saw his fingers tighten on the knife as he moved it closer to Sam's throat. Reacting on instinct, Daniel fired, the force of the shot driving Jacob away from Sam. He fell backwards, the knife clattering to the floor. No longer held up by Jacob's hand, Sam fell, moaning softly.

Jacob struggled towards her, his fingers fumbling for the knife. He snarled as his hand curled around it. Daniel fired again and this time Jacob collapsed, the knife falling from his limp fingers.

Daniel stared for a few seconds, his hand shaking and his heart pounding. Sam moaned and Daniel dropped the pistol, hurrying over to her. "Sam? Oh god, Sam."

He gently turned her to her back, staring in horror at the ugly crimson stain spreading across her middle. "Daniel," she gasped, her hands weakly moving towards her middle.

"Ssh, ssh," he said, moving her hands aside so that he could see the wound. Blood welled up and poured from the wound. Daniel fumbled for Jack's bed, yanking the sheet off the mattress and balling it up. He pressed it against the wound, wincing as she gasped in pain. "Sorry, sorry," he said, unable to keep the panic from his voice.

Daniel heard the crashing sound of wood splintering. "JACK!" he yelled. "JACK! GET THE HELL BACK HERE!" 

Footsteps pounded down the hall and Daniel looked up just as Jack and Teal'c dashed into the room, both stopping as they crossed the threshold. "Daniel?"

"I can't…Jack, I…I can't…" He looked up, his throat clogging with tears. "Help."

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack sat beside the bed, his gaze riveted on the woman lying in it. She was peaceful right now, asleep or unconscious, he didn't know. And right now he didn't care which it was, just that she didn't appear to be in any pain.

He heard footsteps and glanced over to see Teal'c walking quietly into the room. "What is Major Carter's condition?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"The same," Jack said. "Daniel?"

"He is still distraught, but less so than before," Teal'c said. "He offered no theory as to why Jacob Carter would wish to attack Major Carter."

"Yeah," Jack said softly.

"Perhaps Major Carter can shed some light upon recent events when she awakens," Teal'c suggested.

"If we're lucky, she won't wake up," Jack said.

"I agree," Teal'c said, his words surprising Jack. "Among Jaffa, such injuries often are fatal to the primta. Once a Jaffa's pouch is damaged severely enough that he cannot accept a new symbiote his death is simply a matter of time. Often a strong warrior would take many days to journey to Kheb"

Jack nodded, reading between the lines. She was dying. And it would be a slow and painful death as infection slowly ate her body alive. Jacob's knife had penetrated her intestines, irreparably contaminating the wound. Even if they were on Earth, surrounded by Frasier's miracle meds and the latest technology, surviving an injury like this would be touch and go.

Here, in the middle of nowhere, with no antibiotics and torn up bed sheets as bandages? The only miracle they could ask for was that she'd die quickly, preferably without ever regaining consciousness. 

"What did you do with Jacob?" Jack asked.

"The body is in the teltac, sealed in one of the escape pods," Teal'c said. "I was unsure how you wished to dispose of it, or if you wished to inform the Tok'ra of his passing."

Jack sighed, not in the mood for another decision. What to do with Jacob? What to do with Carter? How to get the blood stains out of the floor boards? 

"O'Neill?"

"I don't know," Jack said. "I don't…" He leaned back in the chair and pushed his fingers through his hair. "We screwed up didn't we?"

"Of what do you speak?"

"We never should have left Earth. Never should have gone rogue, abandoned everything," Jack listed.

"At the time that we made the decision, it was a sound one."

"And since?" Jack asked. "We came out here to help Earth. What have we done to HELP anyone? We're not keeping an eye on threats, we're not running interference for the SGC. Hell, it's all we can do to keep ourselves sheltered and fed. We're not helping anyone. We can't even keep…" He took a breath. "We can't even keep ourselves safe."

"I agree that we have not accomplished many notable feats in the past year," Teal'c said. "Yet we have survived and have acquitted ourselves with honor."

"I'll put that on her tombstone," Jack said bitterly.

"You are fatigued," Teal'c said, laying his hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "Permit me to maintain the vigil," he requested.

Jack sat there for a few seconds, ignoring Teal'c's request. He should stay. It was the least he could do. It was his idea to leave Earth, his idea to tell her. His fault that she'd given up everything to follow him. His fault that she'd spent the last year 'making do'. His fault that she was laying there. His fault that she was dying.

"O'Neill? It would be best if Daniel Jackson was not left alone too long."

Jack took a breath. "Yeah." He got up from his chair and turned to look at Teal'c. "Let me know if something changes."

"Of that you can be certain," Teal'c promised.

Casting one last glance at Sam, Jack left the room and made his way out to the living room. Daniel sat at the table. His hands were no longer blood stained but he hadn't changed his clothes. His shirt and pants were smeared with rust colored stains. A cup of water sat untouched between his hands and he was staring off into the distance, not seeming to even notice Jack's entry into the room.

Jack helped himself to a cup of water and sat beside him. "How is she?" Daniel asked, still looking out the broken in front door.

"The same," Jack said. "The bleeding's under control but…" Jack didn't say that he HOPED the bleeding was under control. Surgery would be about the only way to know for sure and surgery was just a bit out of their league at the moment. He didn't voice the fatalistic thought that, if she was lucky, she was still bleeding inside. At least it'd be quicker that way.

"She's not going to make it, is she?"

Jack paused, contemplating lying to Daniel. "No," he finally said. Lying wasn't going to change anything.

Daniel nodded. "How long?"

Jack shrugged. "Hours, days. On the upside, I think she lost enough blood that she shouldn't regain consciousness."

Daniel nodded again. "I didn't even notice when he left."

"Jacob?"

"I was taking inventory. Jacob was supposed to be keeping an eye out for you. I turned around and he was gone and then Sam screamed and…" He looked at Jack. "He…he was going to slit her throat. If I'd have just paid attention, it never would have happened."

Jack shook his head. "Whatever the hell happened to Jacob, I don't think you could have stopped him."

"We'll never know, will we?" Jack couldn't answer him, largely because he agreed. 

They'd never know how things would have played out had he and Teal'c not gone hunting, or if they'd have done any one of a dozen things differently. "What if, what if we dialed Earth?" Daniel suggested.

"Why would we do that? We can't go back."

"We can radio them. Get them to open the iris and send Sam back. Janet can treat her."

Jack shook his head. "Even if they listened to us and opened the iris, the chances of Carter surviving-"

"Are better than her chances of staying here," Daniel interrupted.

"Daniel-"

"Jack, we have to do SOMETHING!" he said, shooting to his feet. "We can't just sit here and wait for her to die."

"What the hell do you suggest we do?" Jack got to his feet as well. "There's not a single planet we've been to that has the medical technology that can help her. About the only thing I can think of would be to call the Tok'ra and stick a snake in her head. And I won't do that to her. I promised that I would never let that happen to her again."

"Not a single planet," Daniel said. He looked at Jack. "Not a single planet we've been to."

He pushed past Jack and dug through the pantry, pawing through the bottles and jars.   
"Daniel?" Jack stood behind him, afraid that his friend had lost it. He reached out and laid his hand on his shoulder. "Daniel-"

"I told you to put this thing away," Daniel said, triumphantly retrieving the communication stone from Thor. "You didn't. Teal'c and I didn't think it needed to just be lying around so Sam stuck it in here. We can call Thor for help."

"Daniel-"

"Jack, just do it!" Daniel yelled. "Good god, what is it going to hurt? Maybe he can help her? Maybe he knows someone that can help her. We've got to try."

Jack stared at the stone in Daniel's hand for a few seconds, then took it from him. He closed his eyes and squeezed it, relieved when the opaque stone began to glow, hopefully signaling that it was active. "We're gonna try," Jack said. "We're gonna try."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c wrung the cloth out, the tepid water dribbling down into the bowl. He bathed Major Carter's face and arms, gently wiping the sweat off her skin. Her flesh was hot to the touch, a physical symptom of the fever that burned through her body.

Her lips were dry and cracked and he picked up a clean cloth, dipping it into a glass of water. He carefully dribbled the water between her lips, relieved to see her tongue move to lick the drops.

She moaned softly and he set the cloth aside, laying his hand aside her head. It was a gesture that he learned soothed her when she was restless.

He heard the floorboards creak and he looked up, not surprised to see O'Neill walk into the room. "How is she?"

"The same," Teal'c reported.

O'Neill nodded. "Look, we need food. Why don't you take Daniel out, see what you can scrounge up."'

Teal'c frowned. True, they could use some food, yet their larder was far from empty. And the stream was a far closer food source. He looked at O'Neill, catching sight of a small item in the man's hand. He recognized it. The item was from their medical supplies, an item that he remembered being trained to use, and warned not to abuse.

"O'Neill." He pointedly looked at the man's hand.

"You need to get Daniel out of here," he said.

"He will not forgive this," Teal'c warned.

"Forgive what?" O'Neill said.

Teal'c reached out, taking the man's hand and unfolding his fingers, revealing the morphine pen from their medical kit. O'Neill looked him in the eyes, unapologetic and resigned. "I'm not gonna let her suffer," he said softly.

"When we were on Aris Boch's ship, I contemplated just such an action," Teal'c confessed. "I was aware of the fate that awaited Major Carter and I wished to spare her the degradation of Apophis' harem or the horror of becoming a host." He looked down at the unconscious woman on the bed. "I chose not to because I knew that as long as there was hope, she would not wish such a fate."

"Are you seeing any hope here?" O'Neill asked. "Because I'm not. What I'm seeing is a friend of mine suffering while she waits for help that isn't going to come," O'Neill said.

"You do not believe that Thor will respond to your call?"

"It's been THREE DAYS, Teal'c. The Asgard can make hatak ships vanish into thin air but they can't respond in three days?" 

Teal'c closed his eyes, his own desperation mirrored in O'Neill's voice. He did not like to be helpless, and helpless is what they all were. For all their knowledge and skill, abilities and luck, none of them could do anything to assist their friend.

They lacked the medicines to ease her pain, the skill to heal her wound and the ability to do much beyond watching and waiting. 

"Perhaps you would wish to take Daniel Jackson hunting," he suggested, well aware of what his words meant. 

O'Neill looked at him and smiled slightly. "Thanks but, I need to do this. I owe her that much."

Teal'c nodded solemnly. "Daniel Jackson will not understand," he warned.

"I know," O'Neill said. "Am I a coward for hoping he never asks?"

"You are a friend," Teal'c said, laying his hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "And a true friend can give no greater gift." Teal'c squeezed slightly, then removed his hand. "We shall be gone for several hours."

"Thank you," O'Neill said softly.

Teal'c nodded. He turned back to the bed and knelt down, picking up Sam's slack hand. He clasped it in his own and brought it up to his mouth, closing his eyes. Silently saying a prayer for her soul's swift journey to Kheb, he gently kissed her fingers before returning her hand to the bed. He got to his feet and silently left the room, pausing only for a moment to brush the unwarriorlike tears from his face before he sought out Daniel Jackson.

When the young man discovered his duplicity Teal'c knew that he would be angry but that anger was a burden he was willing to accept. It was a burden that was far smaller than the one O'Neill was about to take on.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Jack sat down in the chair, sitting still as he listened to Daniel and Teal'c out in the living room. They talked a bit, their words not really audible then Jack heard them leave, the newly replaced door shutting behind them.

He waited, not just to be sure that they were gone, but to put this off as long as he could. He looked down at Sam, indulging himself in studying her features. Her hair was tangled and dull, the bits around her face damp from Teal'c's bathing.

She wasn't as pale as he expected, not even three days of fever being enough to remove the tan from her skin, however her cheeks were hollow and her lips were cracked and chapped. 

He picked up her hand and held it in his own, his fingers finding the weak pulse in her wrist. "You know, I never did tell you how glad I was to see you, did I?" he said. "All that time Ba'al had me, I kept hoping that someone knew, that someone would come. I'd pretty much given up hope when you showed up. Did I ever tell you how damned stupid that was?" he asked. "Invading a Goa'uld palace practically all by yourself." 

Jack closed his eyes, still haunted by the memories of the horrible things Ba'al had said while he'd tortured her. Horrible things that he'd pulled from Jack's own mind to torment her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry he hurt you. I'm sorry he used ME to hurt you. I know you said you understood, and maybe you do, but I never really did apologize did I?" 

Jack opened his eyes and took a steadying breath. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I dragged you along. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. I'm sorry I can't find a better way."

He turned the morphine injector over in his hand, studying the small object. It was tiny, about the size of a ball point pen.

He laid her hand down on the bed and removed the protective cap from the injector. He stared at the needle, turning it so that it glinted in the weak sunlight spilling in the open windows. It was such a tiny thing, compact and efficient. And if you were in pain, there was nothing prettier.

"That appears to be a most inefficient and primitive device."

"When you're in pain you don't give a damn as long as it works," he replied absently. It took him several seconds to realize that he'd actually heard a voice. 

He turned around, dropping the injector and nearly falling out of the chair as he saw Thor standing just a few feet away. "You came!"

"I promised that I would. I must apologize for the delay however I am pleased to inform you that, based upon our analysis of the humanoid Replicator, our battle with the Replicators had reached a turning point."

"Great," Jack replied, struggling to muster up some enthusiasm.

Thor stepped forward, moving closer to the bed. "This human is ill?"

"She's not just a human, she's part of my team, and yeah, she's very ill. In fact, she's dying. Can you help her?"

"I do not know," Thor replied. "My medical unit is configured for Asgard physiology only."

"Can you at least try?" Jack asked, not caring that it looked like he was begging. If he thought begging would help, he'd drop right down on his knees and kiss Thor's wrinkled little-

"We can try," Thor said. The world flashed white and Jack found himself on board an Asgard ship. Sam was there too, lying on the deck. The bedding hadn't been transported with her and there was nothing to disguise the bulky and stained bandage that covered the wound in her belly.

"Please place her upon the table," Thor instructed as a door slid open, revealing a chamber just like the one they had used to examine the robot. Jack lifted Sam up in his arms and carried her over to the table, gently lying her down on the metal surface.

Three Asgard technicians appeared and Jack stepped back, watching as they examined his friend using small handheld scanners. "It will take time to determine the extent of the damage and if it is within our power to repair," Thor warned.

Jack nodded. "Just try," he said. "All I ask is that you try."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel hurried back into the cabin, not caring that Teal'c trailed in his wake. He couldn't ignore the feeling of urgency that had tugged at him since they'd left the cabin earlier in the day. That same feeling had distracted him during the short hunting expedition and was one big reason that they'd only caught a couple of rabbits and gathered a few roots and berries. 

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel ignored him, dropping his burden onto the table and hurrying back to Sam's room. He stood in the threshold, staring as Jack stood over Sam's bed. She was lying on the mattress, still and quiet, with no signs of the fever and distress that had plagued her for the past several days.

A bit of color caught his eyes and he bent over, picking up the morphine injector. "You son of a bitch!" he exploded, launching himself across the room at Jack. Jack was caught off guard and the two of them crashed into the wall. They fell to the floor and Daniel scrambled to get on top. He held the injector in front of Jack's face. 

"WHY?" he demanded. "Why did you have to kill her?" He raised his fist, prepared to punch Jack.

"CEASE!" Teal'c roared. Daniel looked over at him. "Major Carter lives," the Jaffa said calmly.

Daniel frowned, looking from Sam to Jack and the injector in his hands. "Thor came," Jack said. "Right after you left."

"She's alive?" Daniel scrambled to get off Jack, the injector falling to the floor. He hurried back to the bed.

"She is," Teal'c said.

Daniel took her hand in his; for the first time in days, there was no fever burning her skin, she slept peacefully. "Why isn't she awake?" Daniel asked. He resisted the urge to pull down the blanket and make sure that the horrible wound was gone.

Jack moved closer, his hand massaging his neck. "Thor fixed the wound, but he wasn't so sure about the blood loss." He looked around the room. "Since none of us are the right blood type and he didn't want to risk faking something so…. It's just gonna take some time."

"But she's gonna be okay, right?" Daniel asked.

Jack nodded, looking over at Teal'c. He smiled. The first real smile Daniel had seen in days. "Yeah, she's gonna be all right."

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam slowly opened her eyes and blinked to clear her vision. She frowned as the familiar rafters of her bedroom came into focus. Idly, she stared as the shadows of the tree branches danced across the ceiling in the soft breeze.

They were the wrong angle, she thought as she laid there. One of her windows faced the east so she always had the early morning sun. And the shadows were always longer and softer, more delicate than they were now.

It had to be late morning. What was she still doing in bed in the middle of the day? Had she stayed up too late last night? She tried to remember and couldn't. Her memories seemed as intangible and elusive as the shadows that danced across the rafters.

She took a deep breath and wondered why her mind felt so muddled and fuzzy. She'd almost say that she was hung over but they didn't have any alcohol in their stores.

"Sam. You're awake."

She turned her head, frowning when she caught sight of Daniel sitting beside her bed. "Daniel? What's going on?" She tried to sit up, fumbling when she encountered unexpected weakness in her muscles.

"You've just been a little sick," he said, bending over to help her sit up. 

She started to shrug off his assistance then stopped when the world turned grey at the edges. Instead she clutched at his arm, closing her eyes as she fought off the wave of dizziness that assailed her. "I don't remember getting sick," she muttered, grateful when she felt the steadying presence of a pillow at her back.

"Really?" Daniel pressed a cup into her hands and she opened her eyes, glad to see that the world was again on an even keel. "Drink this," he said. "It should help. You're pretty dehydrated."

Sam took a cautious sip, drinking a bit faster when she realized that he was right, she was thirsty. Once she finished, he took the cup from her and handed her a small chunk of bread. "Your stomach's probably not up to anything else right now," he apologized, pouring some more water from a small carafe.

"Probably not," she agreed, her free hand settling on her stomach. She couldn't fight the feeling that something was wrong. She felt a nagging pain deep in her gut but dismissed it as the result of drinking too much too fast. She deliberately tore off small pieces of the bread, eating it slowly.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

She shook her head and looked down at her left wrist, the fading bruises and half healed scrapes triggering her memory. "The bounty hunter," she said. "Where's Teal'c?"

"He's fine," Daniel quickly reassured her. "He's fine. He and Jack are out hunting right now."

"We were on the bounty hunter's ship," she said. "He was taking us to Apophis." She looked over at him. "I don't remember anything else."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Are you still hungry? I think there might be some fruit left."

She slowly shook her head. "I'm really tired."

"Why don't you take a nap then," he suggested. "When Jack and Teal'c come back, I'll tell them to come in here."

Lacking the energy to push him, Sam simply nodded, taking a sip of the water before she handed him the cup. She settled down and closed her eyes, falling asleep within minutes.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"So she doesn't remember anything?" Jack asked, belatedly lowering his voice in response to Daniel's frantically raised hand.

"She said the last thing she remembers is her and Teal'c on the bounty hunter's ship," Daniel reported.

"Does the human mind not often respond to trauma by ignoring the traumatic experience?" Teal'c said.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"When we encountered the creature Nem, none of us remembered the true events of that day until much later," Teal'c remembered.

"That's because Nem screwed with our brain," Jack said. "But yeah, he has a point. Traumatic amnesia."

"You think that's what's wrong with her?"

"I would say having your father try to gut you like a fish would qualify as traumatic." 

Daniel glared, not seeming to appreciate that Jack had lowered his voice to a whisper.  
"What are we going to do about it?" he asked.

"What can we do?"

"We need to tell her," he insisted.

Jack shook his head. "No we don't."

"O'Neill. Are you suggesting that we keep the true circumstances of her injury from her?" Teal'c asked.

"Not forever," Jack said. "How about we hold off on things for a few days? Maybe until, I dunno, she can get out of bed without passing out."

"She needs to know," Daniel insisted.

"If we give her a day or so, her memory might come back on its own."

"And it might not."

"Daniel, believe it or not, if Frasier was here, she'd say to wait. She'll remember when her mind is ready for her to remember. What difference does it make anyway if she finds out today or tomorrow or next week? What happened, happened, and nothing's gonna change that."

"I concur with O'Neill," Teal'c said. "General Carter's remains are preserved in the stasis pod O'Neill received from Thor. His condition will not change."

"But Sam's will," Daniel said. "What am I supposed to say when she asks me what   
happened? Lie to her?"

"No," Jack said. "You just tell her that she got hurt after she and Teal'c got away from the bounty hunter. No details. We'll give her a couple of days to remember."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I'll tell her," Jack said. "But I'll do it when I think it's right." Jack looked at the two of them, doing his best to ensure that they would follow along with his plans. "T, why don't you go sit with her for a bit. Daniel and I will see what we can do for dinner."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam rolled over, listening to the sound of Teal'c puttering in the living room. She heard him put away the dishes from lunch, then walk out the door.

Carefully getting out of bed, she made her way over to the south window and looked out. He strode across the small clearing, his shaving kit in hand. It was obvious that he was going down to the stream to bathe and probably grab a little kelnoreem time.

"Finally," she whispered, slowly making her way to the chest that stood at the foot of the bed. She opened it and pulled out a change of clothes along with her own shower kit. This was the first time in two days that the guys had left her alone and she planned to take full advantage of the situation.

Of course, this was also the first time since she'd woken up that she actually felt decent, so she couldn't quite blame them for their attentiveness. She still couldn't remember getting sick, which is what had to have happened. Other than her wrist, she hadn't found any injuries to explain losing the better part of a week. And being sick would explain the discomfort she sometimes felt in her belly along with a lingering weakness and a nagging headache.

Being sick was nothing new, unfortunately. Living in a world of no refrigeration and untreated water, all of them had experienced an issue or two. Fortunately, up to this point it had never been worse than a little gastrointestinal distress.

She made her way out of the room and down the short hall, her goal not the stream where Teal'c was, but the teltac parked a short distance away. Their teltac had primitive sanitary facilities, among them a rather wimpy but warm shower.

They didn't use the shower very often, it was actually quite a pain to restock the ship's stores of water and none of them were too fond of wasting the ship's power supply on showering when they might need it later for something more important. But right now, after about a week in bed, she needed something better than a quick dip in the stream and was pretty sure that no one would complain too much.

She stepped outside and paused on the small stoop, taking a few deep breaths of fresh air before setting across the clearing towards their teltac. The ship was parked maybe a hundred yards away from the cabin, slightly disguised by a small grove of trees.

She kept her pace slow and cautious, very aware of the weakness that plagued her and also very aware that she'd never hear the end of it if she did something stupid like passing out. 

She knew that, if she'd just asked, Teal'c or one of the others would have happily escorted her to and from the teltac but she felt the need to do something on her own. They'd all been great at taking care of her the past few days. And she presumed the days preceding as well. But they all had too much to do to waste their time babying her. Anyway, it seemed kinda odd to ask her male friends to help her take a shower.

It took her a couple of minutes to reach the teltac and she paused outside the door, shaking her head. "Enterprise," she said, sighing at the Colonel's choice of a password. The door opened and she walked inside, making a mental list of what she needed to do to fire up the water heaters. 

She set her stuff down next to the bathroom and made her way to the back of the ship. She walked into the cargo hold and stopped short at the sight of a large box sitting against the wall. "Where did you come from?" she asked herself, walking towards it. They hadn't scavenged anything this fancy and the guys certainly hadn't said anything about it.

She studied it, her eyes picking out signs of some very advanced technology. The pod was a silvery color with a matte finish. She could see something that looked like a window and she walked towards it, hoping to get a clue as to what was in it..

A sick feeling settled in her stomach as she got closer and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her pace slowed and a sense of dread almost overwhelmed her.  
She got close enough to peer in the transparent surface and she stared, her brain refusing to acknowledge what she was seeing. "No," she whispered, her hand reaching out to touch the surface of the pod.

Her knees gave away and she crumpled to the floor burying her head in her hands as memories washed over her.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack whistled through his teeth, a large string of fish dangling from his fingertips. They'd had good luck today, catching a half dozen fish in just a couple of hours. Now he figured he'd treat himself to a bit of a siesta then turn his attention to dinner.

He seriously humored the thought of a bonfire or barbeque, maybe roasting the fish over an open flame and trying his hand at grilling some of the vegetables Daniel had found.  
"Sam seems to be feeling better," Daniel said.

Jack gritted his teeth, well aware of the topic that was about to be broached. The very same topic Daniel had been harping on for the past two days. "Yeah," he said.

"In fact it wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't get bored with staying in bed pretty soon."

"Daniel…."

"Jack, she's gonna figure it out," he said. "Do you have any idea how hard it is not to lie to her?"

"I know," Jack said. The need not to lie was why Teal'c had been spending most of the last day watching over her, the Jaffa's normal silent nature making it easier for him to avoid the conversation that none of them wanted to have.

"You need to tell her," Daniel said.

"I will," Jack promised.

"When?"

"Tonight," he said. "Maybe after dinner." As annoying as Daniel was, he was right, they couldn't keep avoiding the truth. Sam was getting stronger faster than Jack thought she would and without the normal distractions of the infirmary, there wasn't much else for her to do but think. And when she thought about something, she pretty much devoted her whole mind to it.

He could see it in her eyes the last time he'd talked to her, that slightly distracted gaze that told him that her attention was definitely directed elsewhere. That's what he'd do. He'd tell her tonight. Take her aside and break the news. 

"Oh my god," Daniel groaned. He stopped and Jack looked over at him, then followed his gaze. Sam was walking across the clearing, her gait slow and deliberate. In an instant Jack knew that he'd waited too long.

Both he and Daniel picked up the pace, almost jogging over to meet up with their friend. "Sam?" Daniel asked.

She ignored him for a second, then stopped walking and looked at him. "Daniel. Can you do me a favor please. Last I knew the Tok'ra were on Revanna, can you contact them. They need to know in case they have someone out looking for him." Her tone was flat and soft, almost hesitant. Daniel looked over at him and Jack nodded.

"Sure," he said. "I can go right now."

She nodded and resumed her walk, totally ignoring Jack. "Sam?" Jack reached out and grabbed her arm. She stopped and glared at him, an emotion he could only describe as hate glittering in her eyes. He dropped his hand and she kept walking, slowly making her way past the cabin.

"Jack?" Daniel asked.

He handed his fish off to Daniel. "I'll go contact Revanna. You go find Teal'c and then keep an eye on her."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think she wants me anywhere near her right now."

"Give her her space but…just don't leave her alone," Jack instructed.

"Okay," Daniel agreed. He reached out and took the fish from Jack before turning around and returning to the cabin. Jack stood and watched until he saw Daniel emerge from the building and follow Sam before he turned and made his way towards the gate. "Well, you screwed that up," he chastised himself. 

As he walked, he wondered just how much better his friends' lives would have been had they simply left him with Ba'al.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c walked across the clearing and into the small grove of trees. It was dark and still, the deep shade blocking most of the sunlight, even more so now that it was near dusk. He could hear the beginnings of the night music. This planet had several insects similar to those of Earth, including crickets and cicadas, both of which filled the air with a soothing cacophony. He continued down the barely perceptible path, not really needing it to find his destination.

In the past year he had explored the area around their new home and was very familiar with it, including Major Carter's preferred place to bathe. It was a location that they all knew and respected, just as she avoided the segment of the creek she dubbed the 'boys club'.

Which was why he knew he would find her here as soon as Daniel Jackson had returned to the cabin and informed them that he'd been told, in no uncertain terms, that he needed to 'leave her alone'.

Teal'c heard the sound of the stream and he slowed, not wishing to startle her. It was unlikely that she was bathing in the stream, yet he did not wish to violate her privacy. She was seated in her preferred position, on a large rock that stood at the edge of the stream. The branches of the surrounding trees were such that the rock was often in the sunlight and Teal'c knew that she often used it to sunbathe after swimming and as a place to keep her clothes and toiletries.

She was curled up upon herself, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her gaze was directed towards the other bank, but Teal'c knew that she was seeing little.

He walked up behind her, making no effort to minimalize his footsteps. He unfolded the blanket he was carrying and laid it across her shoulders, draping it so that it would not fall off.

He silently sat beside her, indulging himself in a moment of his own introspection. He knew that, of all of them, he perhaps had the least regrets about their choice. Their living situation, while far from what his friends was used to, was not arduous to him. In fact, perhaps the only thing he could wish for was if he could bring Drey'auc and Ry'ac to live with them. Even though their marriage was no longer blessed - he had never addressed the issue of Drey'auc setting the marriage aside - he still found himself longing for companionship beyond that of friendship. He also missed his son.

He knew that Daniel Jackson missed the opportunities that the SGC had given him to study other cultures. And that he regretted that his search for Shau'ri had progressed very little in the past year.

O'Neill's regrets were of a far more personal nature. Teal'c knew that while he enjoyed the freedom from observation and censure, he also felt overwhelmed by the need to care for and keep them all safe.

Major Carter's regrets were perhaps the hardest for Teal'c to understand. In many ways, she seemed content. Yet, at times, he would see a longing in her eyes that had little to do with missing the conveniences of Earth.

If he were to discuss the issue with Master Bra'tac, his mentor would say that her kelma - her soul - was marked.

"The Tok'ra have responded," he said, the fading light telling him that they had been sitting there for some time. "Garshaw and the council send their condolences." She continued to ignore him although he saw her fingers dig into the blanket, pulling it close. "One of their scientists wishes to examine General Carter and Selmac to see if she can determine the cause of his…breakdown."

"No," she said softly.

"You do not wish to understand the cause of the issue?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Major Carter?"

"It doesn't matter why. It's over and it happened and nothing can change it."

He looked at her, the tone of her voice giving him pause. She sounded resigned and far calmer than he would have expected. "O'Neill's decision was motivated solely by his concern for your well being," he said, thinking that perhaps her anger with the man was the root of her melancholy. While the outcome may not have been all that he had hoped for, Teal'c knew that the man's motives were pure.

"He should have told me."

"Her feared for you," Teal'c said. "It is most fortunate that you do not remember the time after you were injured. You suffered greatly, Major Carter and we all witnessed your suffering. It was indeed a miracle that Thor restored you to health. And I speak to you sincerely when I say that none of us wished to do you further harm." She didn't answer but closed her eyes and Teal'c knew that she had heard, even if she was not yet ready to accept his words.

He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Will you come inside?" She ignored him. "Samantha, please." She looked up, caught off guard by his words.

She reached out and he took her hand, helping her to her feet. He led her back to the cabin, pausing a short distance away. "Teal'c?"

"I am very grateful that you are alive. And I wish that you could have been spared the pain of Jacob Carter's actions." Half afraid that she would resist, he pulled her close, indulging himself in the feel of her, warm and alive in his arms.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Sam let herself sink against Teal'c, soaking up the comforting warmth of his presence. She didn't know how long they stood there, and that fact alone prompted her to push away from him. "They're waiting, aren't they?"

"They are," Teal'c confirmed. "Their concern for your well being mirrors mine. And it is just as sincere."

The sun had set and they were surrounded by darkness. The windows of the cabin glowed with a welcoming golden light, guiding her. She nodded and stepped out of his arms, slowly making her way into the cabin. The Colonel and Daniel looked up as she entered, both men getting to their feet. 

"Carter."

"Sam." Daniel took a step towards her. "Sam, I just-"

"You did what you had to do," she interrupted, not in the mood to hear the apology that she knew was coming. If he apologized then she would have to forgive him and she just wasn't ready to do that. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

An awkward silence settled over the room, broken only by the soft creak of the floorboards as Teal'c joined them. "I'm tired," she said, latching onto the first excuse that she could to escape.

"We saved you some dinner," the Colonel said, gesturing towards a plate setting on the cabinet, covered by a dish towel.

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry." She took a breath. "There is one thing. Eventually, we're going to need to use the ship and…one of these days we might be able go home and I want to take him with me. Can we find somewhere to keep him safe?" she asked, cursing her own weakness. She couldn't even say his name.

"The caves?" Daniel suggested.

"They're a couple of miles away," the Colonel said. "But they're stable and protected."

Sam nodded. "Those could work."

"I'll go scout them in the morning."

"Thank you." She walked past them, retreating into her own room. She closed the door and sat down on the bed, the blanket still around her shoulders. 

Finally alone, she took a shaky breath to calm her bubbling emotions. They were trying. She couldn't blame them for trying. It wasn't their fault that they were in this situation, it was hers.

_'Do you know how I breached your iris and invaded your world? Hathor took the information from you and I took it from her. Do not blame me, blame yourself.'_

She should leave. Leave them before she caused them more harm. Leave before someone else died because of her, of her weakness.

Fingers knocked gently against her door and it slowly opened. The Colonel stepped in, the covered plate in his hand. "It's a long time until breakfast," he said by way of explanation, setting the plate and a cup of water down on the dresser. He stopped and looked at her. "I'm sorry," he said. "They wanted to tell you sooner but I wouldn't let them. It was a bad call."

"You did what you thought was right," she said, accepting his apology.

He stared at her for a minute, then nodded. "Let us know if you need something," he invited. "Seriously. I normally leave the cheesy stuff to Daniel but-"

"Thank you," she said, interrupting him. "That means a lot."

He nodded again and sighed. "Goodnight." He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sam curled up on the bed, pulling the blanket around her. She couldn't leave, she decided. To leave would be to run away. And she wasn't going to run away from this. She made this mess, so she was going to fix it. She just needed to figure out how.

  
~Fin~


	4. Keep the Homefires Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still on their own, SG-1 has to decide what's more important, stopping the ultimate evil or saving Earth

  


Sam threaded the last ring through the fabric and stepped back, admiring her handiwork. A large piece of cloth hung from a small square frame, itself suspended on a scaffold. Above it was a large black box with a pipe descending down to the ground level and into another holding tank. A sluice ran from the tank and into the trees, ending at the stream. 

Eager to try her invention now that it was totally done, Sam pulled the rope that opened the sluice by the stream. Clear water ran down the sluice and filled the holding tank. She closed the gate and grabbed a handle, powering the pump system that lifted the water from the ground level holding tank to the one perched atop the scaffold. After a few minutes she stopped moving water and pushed aside the cloth, revealing a showerhead and a dangling rope. She pulled the rope, smiling as water cascaded down from the showerhead. "Goodbye bathing with the guppies," she said, letting go of the rope.

The shower was far from perfect. The whole system depended on gravity to move water. The suspended tank would only hold about fifty gallons and the only heating they had was courtesy of solar radiation - thus the reason for the black paint.

Their drain was a simple sloped trough and the shower curtain was little more than a token attempt at privacy. But it was a shower. And it would provide at least the illusion of cleanliness and civilization.

She glanced at her watch, wondering if she'd have time for a quick shower before the guys returned. Deciding to risk it, she set herself to manning the pump, filling the top tank to the rim. 

Just as she reached for her top, a small device she wore at her waist chirped and she looked up, instinctively turning her head towards the gate. It chirped again, this time in a recognizable pattern and she smiled slightly, relaxing when she recognized the colonel's code. "You're back early, boys," she muttered, abandoning the idea of a shower and gathering her tools.

"The water'd be too cold anyway," she said, making her way back to the cabin. As she walked, she took a few minutes to admire the scenery. Summer was coming to an end on their planet, which the colonel had finally christened Springfield, much to Sam and Daniels' dismay. Most of the fruit and nut trees were reaching their harvest point. The grasses were starting to dry up and seed down for next spring and some of the trees were already losing leaves.

She knew that fall was normally seen as an ending, but she didn't feel that way. Instead, she felt anticipation. Like something important was lurking just on the horizon.

She climbed the short flight of steps onto the porch of the cabin, breathing in deep as she caught a whiff of Daniel's cooking. "That smells good," she complimented as she walked in. She set down her tools beside the door and made her way over to the sink, washing her hands.

Several loaves of bread were cooling on the table and Daniel was just taking a large pan out of the oven. "Let's hope it's edible," he said, setting the pan on the table.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Last night's stew. I had some left over dough so I made a sort of pie," he said. "Although I guess it's more like a cobbler."

Sam studied his creation. It was more like a cobbler. Irregular blobs of golden brown bread floated on top of the bubbling stew. "It looks fantastic," she said, well aware that even if it looked horrible she wouldn't say so. Food was food and Daniel had had the best luck with one of their scavenged acquisitions.

It was an oven like device, powered by staff weapon power cells. It wasn't quite what any of them were used to and didn't seem capable of attaining a temperature above four hundred degrees, but it was infinitely better than their alternative, which was to do their cooking over an open fire. Not only was cooking over the open flames a very difficult to attain skill, they knew their needs would soon outstrip the natural resources and that havesting wood would become a full time job.

"How'd your day go?" he asked, moving the four loaves of bread off the table and onto the counter. 

"We have a shower," she bragged, getting up to retrieve the plates and glasses from the cupboard. She knew that the colonel and Teal'c would both be hungry and she as too.

"That's great," he said.

Sam shrugged. "No hot water but better than nothing. I figure we'll get to use it for a month or so before it gets too cold and we have to drain the tank."

Daniel grabbed the silverware and helped her finish setting the table. "Maybe we can find another oven and see if we can rig it to heat the water," he suggested.

"That's a good idea," she said. "We'd have to build a second tank and maybe rig some insulation to keep it warm. We'd also need some sort of thermostat, keep us from accidentally cooking ourselves. I was also thinking of looking into a cistern. I remember watching a show about people using sand to filter the water. Wouldn't it be great if we could have water right outside the front door?" Daniel didn't respond and Sam looked over at him. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"That look was something," she insisted.

"Jack," Daniel said loudly, ignoring her to turn his attention as the colonel and Teal'c   
walked into the cabin.

Sam turned, raising her eyebrows as her two friends entered the room, their arms full of stuff. "It looks like you two had a good day," she said, standing back as they brushed the plates aside, laying their bootie out on the table.

"You could say that," the colonel said, smiling broadly.

"A few days ago I remembered the location of a planet Apophis used to secret away much of his plunder," Teal'c said.

"I though goa'uld liked to keep their gold close?" Sam asked, exploring some of the stuff on the table. She recognized food and weapons along with some more power sources for the oven and some bundles of clothing.

"As the Tau'ri say, it is not good to keep all of one's eggs in one basket," Teal'c said. "It is actually quite common for goa'uld to have several places to secret away their prized possessions."

"Like Al Capone's vault?" Daniel asked, picking up a large jar of what Sam guessed to be honey.

"Yeah, but we had better luck than Geraldo," the colonel said. "Gold, silver, jewels, weapons, you name it. We grabbed what we could carry then hit the market on the way back."

"Umm." Sam picked up a bag and opened it, sniffing to confirm that it was dried fruit. "Sir, won't they notice eventually?"

"That is a risk," Teal'c said. "However when I served with Apophis, he visited this planet very infrequently, perhaps once or twice a year. It is quite possible that our incursion will go unnoticed for many months."

"And possible that he'll show up tomorrow," she persisted.

"Yes, Carter, he might show up tomorrow," Jack said, the pleased expression falling from his face. "It's an acceptable risk. We need funds and Pops has the goods to get us what we need." He looked over at Teal'c. "It's about two days away by teltac. T and I are going to go back, make one large haul and then we'll leave it alone."

Sam fell silent, sighing to herself. She couldn't fault his logic. From all the luxuries they'd brought back, it looked like the colonel and Teal'c had hit the mother lode and, potentially, solved all their problems. But they were also raiding a system lord's larder. 

"It just seems kinda reckless," Daniel said, setting down the jar of honey.

"Daniel, we've been trying for over a month to find a nice uninhabited planet to raid. We haven't had any luck," O'Neill said. "If we want our shield generator anytime in the next year, we need to be reckless."

"I agree with O'Neill," Teal'c said. "We have gained more in one day's recklessness than we have in a month of caution."

"I just don't want you guys taking unnecessary risks," Sam said.

"Unnecessary is a relative term," O'Neill said. "We wouldn't have done it if we thought it was too big of a risk," he said, his anger fading.

Sam heard a tiny sound and looked at her friends. "What was that?"

The colonel shrugged and looked to Teal'c. "Your turn," he said.

Teal'c reached into his pocked and carefully drew something out. He set it down on the table. "I believe this acquisition was your idea, O'Neill."

Sam stared, watching as the small bundle of fur clumsily found its feet, mewing indignantly. "A cat?"

"I believe it is more accurately described as a kitten," Teal'c corrected.

"It's so cute," Daniel said, making a move to pick it up. The kitten hissed, its grey fur bristling as it arched its little back. "Ok, maybe not so cute."

"We do not need a pet," Sam said, watching as the tiny creature began to explore the table, sniffing the various items.

"It's not a pet," the colonel said. "It's pest control."

"Pest control?" Sam asked skeptically.

"For the mice."

"We don't have mice."

"We did last winter."

"After you spoiled that bag of beans all over the porch and didn't get it all cleaned up," she reminded.

O'Neill shook his head. "After that."

"There were no mice after that."

"There was one in my room. Chewed a hole in my favorite pair of socks."

"That was probably your toe nails," she said, cringing at the memory of the last time she'd seen him barefoot. Like many men, while he kept his fingernails short, he had a bad habit of letting his toenails grow, usually until they started to irritate his feet within the confines of his boots. Then he'd decide to trim them. 

After dinner. 

In the common room. 

Beside the fire. 

Without softening them up first.

Little white missiles would fly across the room. 

Missiles that he'd forget to clean up. 

Missiles that she'd stepped on more than once.

He glared at her and she glared back, almost hoping that he'd deny it. "We had mice last winter," he said, refusing to rise to the bait. "Winter's coming and we'll likely have mice again. Besides, it's a stray. It was just gonna starve if we'd left it."

"And you expect this to deal with the mice…that we don't have?" she asked, picking up the kitten. Surprisingly, it didn't hiss at her although it did squawk in protest. It was small and she knew that it had to be barely weaned. It fit easily in her hand and its paws were about the size of her fingertips. "I think the mice are bigger."

"It'll grow," he dismissed her protests.

"Teal'c?" She turned to her friend.

"O'Neill's assertions are correct," Teal'c said. "The kitten will indeed grow."

Sam glared at him and he looked back, unfazed by her mood. "It's just a kitten," Daniel said, reaching out. Again the cat hissed, this time backing away and forcing Sam to quickly readjust her hold to avoid dropping it. "A killer kitten maybe, but still a kitten."

"Then you won't mind taking care of it," she said, setting the kitten down on the floor. "It's especially fun until you get them trained to a litter box, not to mention cleaning out the litter box regularly. Which you probably better do quite often or we'll have bugs and lord only know what the colonel will drag home to take care of those." She looked around at her three friends. "I'm gonna go try out our brand new shower."

Not really caring that she was being a bit of a bitch, she left the common room and retreated back into her bedroom, quickly gathering a change of clothes and her toiletries. "We'll save you some dinner," Daniel said as she walked past and went back outside. Once she stepped off the porch, she slowed down, well aware that none of them would violate her privacy and follow her. They'd leave her alone, and that was just what she wanted at the moment, to be alone.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"That was a stellar success," Daniel said, waiting until Sam was out of earshot before speaking up.

Jack shrugged. "She didn't throw it against the wall." He bent over and picked up the kitten before sitting down and setting it in his lap.

"Do not judge Major Carter too harshly. She will warm to the creature," Teal'c said, helping Daniel move their purchases off the table so that they could eat.

It took them only a few minutes to clear off the table and serve up the stew, which Jack and Teal'c dug into hungrily. "What all else did you guys get?" Daniel asked, putting a few tablespoons of gravy and meat onto a saucer and setting it down on the floor. Jack put the kitten down.

"Spices and some salt," Jack said as the kitten started to eat. "Another set of sheets apiece and some heavier clothes. We also found some socks, blankets and some soap and shampoo," Jack listed.

"We bartered for some dried fruit and vegetables," Teal'c said. "Also some rice and other grains."

"And we still have more money to spend," Jack said. "We just grabbed the gold and jewels we could carry. If we go back with the teltac we'll have enough to get the shield generator with money left over."

"What if Sam has a point?" Daniel asked, feeling the need to be the devil's advocate. "What if it's a trap?"

"Wouldn't they have sprung it already?" Jack asked. He took another bite of the stew then set down his spoon down. "Daniel, where do you think we got the proximity alert at the gate from?" Jack asked, referring to the sensors they'd installed at the Stargate. The sensors would send a signal every time the gate opened and operated much like pagers. Each of them had their own code to enter, announcing their presence. If the gate opened and they received no code, then they knew that the visitor was likely not friendly.

It was similar to the SGC's IDC system, but they simply lacked the iris. Which was what they hoped to recreate with a shield generator. "I thought you found the proximity detector?" Daniel asked.

"We did," Jack said.

"We found it on one of Apophis' abandoned worlds," Teal'c said, cleaning his plate.

Daniel sighed. "Jack, I thought we were keeping a low profile?"

"Apophis is dead. He won't care," Jack said.

"What about that bounty on us?" Daniel asked. He looked to Teal'c. "You said the bounty hunter said that Apophis wanted us captured," he reminded.

"And when that bounty hunter got Teal'c and Carter, he met up with Jacob. For all we know, Jacob put it out in Apophis' name," Jack said.. "And since we can't exactly ring up Chulak and ask, I'm gonna operate under the presumption that Apophis is dead."

"Ok," Daniel said. "Fine, Apophis is dead. But when a goa'uld dies, their holdings don't just go away, they're absorbed by other Goa'ulds. Someone is gonna notice that that stuff is gone."

"It will do them little good to notice," Teal'c said. "As long as we take care that they do not know where the items vanished to."

Daniel shrugged, acknowledging that there was likely little he could do to change their minds. "The real reason you got the cat?" he asked.

"Mice," Jack said. Daniel stared at him, seeing through the thin cover story. Jack shrugged. "She had one back on Earth."

"I believe she called it Schrödinger," Teal'c said.

"Right. Anyway, I thought maybe she'd like something to keep her company or something," he said, his voice deliberately casual.

Daniel suspected the true motive behind Jack and Teal'c's gesture. Sam's mood had been distinctly depressed and down for the past month. Not that he blamed her in the slightest. He knew that saying that Jacob's death had hit her hard was an understatement. A death that was made all the more difficult by the means of his passing and the fact that - for reasons still unknown - Jacob had gone nuts and nearly killed Sam before Daniel himself had shot the man.

"And you think a cat is going to cheer her up?" Daniel asked.

"I think I don't want any more mice eating my socks," Jack said, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna go check out the teltac. See what we need to do. I plan to leave at first light."

"What about Sam?" Daniel asked.

"What about her?"

"Jack, she hasn't left this planet in a month."

"Her shower's done," Jack said. "That excuse doesn't work any more."

"She's already coming up with others. Now she wants to build a cistern."

"Regardless, I do not believe that it is wise for Major Carter to remain here alone," Teal'c said.

"Which is why I haven't been joining you guys on your little treasure hunts," Daniel reminded them. "But if there's as much stuff as you say there is, more hands might help."

"She's welcome to come," Jack said. "I don't think she should be here alone. I don't think any of us should be here alone."

"She will come with us," Teal'c declared. Daniel and Jack both looked at him. "I will impress upon her the importance of her presence."

"He's got guts," Daniel said.

"More than me," Jack agreed. He bent over and picked up the kitten, holding it out to Teal'c. "What woman can resist a one armed, one eyed guy carrying a cute fuzzy kitten?"

"And if she does, he's got Junior to help him out," Daniel said helpfully.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack opened his eyes, muttering a few choice words about the bird singing cheerfully outside his window. "When I said first thing in the morning, I was kinda thinking after breakfast." He sat on the edge of the bed, yawning widely as he stretched.

Giving into the demands of his avian alarm clock - and his full bladder - he stood up and quickly gathered his shaving kit. Maybe he'd go give Carter's shower a try.

He slipped through the cabin, not surprised to find his friends still asleep. "Or maybe not," he said, finding the front door unbarred.

He opened the door and found Carter sitting on the stoop, one of their newly acquired blankets around her shoulders. "You're up early," he said.

"Wasn't my idea." She motioned off the porch and Jack caught sight of the kitten playing in the grass.

"Sorry." Jack sat beside her. "You know that Teal'c and I are going to take the teltac for a spin."

"That's what he said."

"How do you feel about grabbing the cat and-"

"Gizmo," she interrupted.

"What?"

"Her name," Sam clarified.

"Gizmo?"

"I thought about Doohickey but it seemed kinda cruel to saddle her with a name that's bigger than she is," she explained.

"Her?" Jack asked.

Sam looked at him. "We had a lot of time to get acquainted last night."

"I thought she was with Teal'c," he said, vividly remembering the sight of Teal'c returning to the cabin, his metaphorical tail between his legs and a kitten in his hand.

"She was. Until he snuck into my room and put her in my bed in the middle of the night."  
Jack nodded, knowing better than to say anything. Once again he was in awe of the Jaffa's fortitude - or fearlessness. "I tried to make her a bed in the corner but she just crawled right out of it and wandered around the room, meowing and meowing until I picked her back up and tucked her under the blanket," she continued. "Of course, she can't just curl up and go to sleep. She has to explore and sniff and taste everything." She looked at Jack. "Her claws are like needles," she said, holding up her arm, adorned with a short line of red scratches. "And she's not afraid to use them."

"It'll get better," Jack promised. "If she keeps you awake too much, you can bring her into me," he offered.

"You're not going to be here for two days," she said, reminding him of his plan.

"Come with us," he invited. "Then all four of us can take care of her."

"I don't know," she said. "There's a lot of stuff to do."

"Like what?" he pressed. At first, he'd been all for letting her stay home. And he knew that, while she was a lot better than she'd been a month ago, she still wasn't one hundred percent. Even though Thor had repaired her injuries, he hadn't been able to do anything about all the blood she'd lost. Her body would repair itself, given time and the appropriate nutrition. Which is what they'd been trying to do, giving her the time and space to recover without making her feel like they were smothering her.

For most of the past month, he and Teal'c had done all the searching and scavenging on their own, leaving Daniel behind to keep an eye on Sam. But Jack was starting to wonder if she was getting a little too attached to staying home.

"Well, since staff weapon power cells can run the oven, then they can probably be adapted to other uses. Like maybe some lights," she said, touching upon one big adjustment they'd all had to make. The total lack of electricity and the ease of lighting that electricity brought.

Jack nodded. "You know, that place is fully powered," he said. "I'm sure Teal'c can find the main power source. While we're loading up the teltac, maybe you can do a little research. Maybe find a way to strip some of the fixtures and wiring so that they can be adapted for here," he enticed. They hadn't really planned to strip the place bare, in fact they'd been hoping that their little shopping trip might even go unnoticed. Unless of course someone had a detailed manifest. But if it enticed her to coming with them, he was all for it.

"I'm not sure if-"

The front door banged open, interrupting her. Jack shot to his feet. "Damnit, Daniel, where's the fire?"

Daniel paused, breathing heavily. Jack could see that he'd just gotten out of bed. His chest and feet were bare and his hair stood up in odd places. Teal'c appeared right behind him, his weapon in his hand. "The proximity alert went off," Daniel explained, holding out the small device.

"Damn," Jack said as Sam got to her feet. The two of them hurried inside, quickly retrieving their weapons and throwing on some clothes.

"Teal'c already went ahead to scout," Daniel said as soon as they returned..

Jack nodded. "Defensive positions in the trees. If I give the signal, we're gonna bug out to the teltac," he ordered.

Sam and Daniel nodded, the pair of them melting into the bushes that surrounded the cabin. Jack did the same, cursing his idea to trim the foliage back several yards as he dashed across the exposed space. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, to keep the bushes and trees around the cabin controlled, but he realized that it did make the cabin all the more visible and vulnerable.

Knowing that it would take his visitors several more minutes to hike from the gate to the cabin, Jack stepped behind a tree and relieved himself before stepping back into position. He looked up the path, cocking his head to see if he could hear anything. If it was an invasion, it was a quiet one. In his experience, Jaffa didn't tend to do stealth, they aimed more towards the march in and terrify.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c's voice carried across the clearing and Jack looked up, catching sight of his friend walking towards him. "There is no need for alarm. Our visitors are friendly."

Jack stepped forward a bit, waiting until he caught sight of the two people Teal'c was escorting before leaving his position totally. Even then, he kept his hand on his weapon.

One of them he recognized, but the other was a stranger. A tall and beautiful stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. "Bra'tac!" Jack called out, glancing around to see Sam and Daniel emerging from their hiding places. "Nice to see you. Who's your friend?"

"She is Sho'nac of the Red Hills," Teal'c said, speaking up before the woman could. 

She glared at Teal'c for a second. "I am the temple priestess on Chulak," she said. "And I come with Bra'tac bearing information that you will find of great interest."

"Define great," Jack said as Sam and Daniel joined him. Sho'nac was a very striking woman, tall and full figured. Her hair was long and dark and done up in a series of thin braids and held back by a thick band that matched her dress.

"It is a very long story, O'Neill," Bra'tac said. "And perhaps one better suited for more comfortable surroundings."

"We were just getting ready for breakfast, why don't you join us?" Sam invited. The two visitors acquiesced and the six of them made their way into the cabin, Jack lingering back to bring up the rear.

Catching sight of Gizmo determinedly attacking a twig, Jack bent over and snagged the kitten, holding her close to his chest. "You're part of this mad house too," he said as he joined the others inside the cabin.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

"Your visit to Apophis' keep did not go unnoticed," Bra'tac said, watching as O'Neill joined them, an immature feline in his hand.

"We saw no one," Teal'c said.

"The keep is not guarded, rather the chappai," Bra'tac explained. "Soon after Teal'c betrayed him, Apophis realized just how much knowledge he possessed. He feared further betrayal, thus he began to watch those around him with a much more suspicious eye." Bra'tac looked around the table. "He feared informing another of the location of his treasure, so he bade me to place upon the chappai a device which would notify him if it was used."

"A booby trap we set off," O'Neill said.

"Yes," Bra'tac confirmed, divining the meaning of the human's strange term.

"That still doesn't explain how you found us," Daniel Jackson asked.

"The device also captured the glyphs entered into the chappai."

"That's an unpleasant surprise," O'Neill said, nudging the animal with the toe of his boot.

"I was not aware that such technology existed," Teal'c said.

"It's no different than our dialing computer," Carter said.

"Who else knows where we are?" O'Neill asked.

"I have shared this knowledge with no one," Bra'tac promised.

"If Apophis is really that paranoid, what are the chances that he's watching you?" Carter asked.

"He is not watching us," Sho'nac said.

"Even now, Apophis languishes in the prisons of Sokar," Bra'tac explained.

"Sokar?" Jackson asked, shying away as the young cat explored towards his feet.

"Yes," Bra'tac nodded. "A fate you yourself arranged for him."

"Wait a minute," O'Neill said. "We didn't arrange anything."

"He died on Earth," Carter said. "The Tok'ra suggested that we hand him over to Sokar to stop Sokar's attack. They didn't tell us that Sokar had a sarcophagus."

Bra'tac nodded. "That explains a lot. When I heard of what you had done, I did not believe that it was the Tau'ri, yet the results spoke otherwise."

"If Apophis is dead, then who put the bounty out on us?" Jackson asked.

"Amaunet," Sho'nac said. 

A silence fell over the group and Bra'tac sighed, regretting that he had not taken time to inform Sho'nac of the relationship between Doctor Jackson and Amaunet's host. "The bounty hunter said that his employer was Apophis," Teal'c said.

"Amaunet has done many things in Apophis' name," Sho'nac said. "The bounty is only one of them."

"That makes sense," Carter said, tearing her concerned gaze from her friend. "Edith Wilson ran the Presidency for months while her husband recovered from a stroke." She looked around the table. "Amaunet wouldn't be the first woman in a patriarchal world to rule using a man's name and authority."

"Yeah, but everyone - except for us - seems to know that Apophis is locked up," O'Neill said.

"They will care little," Bra'tac said. "Especially since doubt can be cast upon whether or not it was the real Apophis that was given to Sokar."

"A marionette," Jackson said. "Find another goa'uld, let him SAY that he's Apophis, the illusion is intact but it's Amaunet that's pulling the strings."

"Indeed," Teal'c said. "A most ingenious ruse."

Carter shook her head. "That still doesn't make any sense. If Amaunet is letting people believe that we didn't turn over the real Apophis to Sokar, then why would she be mad enough at us to put out a bounty?" she asked, as she bent over and picked up the animal, setting it on her lap.

Sho'nac shook her head. "She does not seek revenge, rather information."

"What do we know that she needs to know?" O'Neill asked.

"She sought the location of her child," Sho'nac said.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sho'nac's words dropped like a cement block into a mud puddle. "Her child?" Jack asked slowly. Daniel couldn't respond, not yet.

"Why would Amaunet seek such knowledge from us?" Teal'c asked.

"She is aware of your subterfuge," Sho'nac answered. 

"For many months, I was bade to seek out Heru'ur and bring him to Apophis," Bra'tac said. "An edict Amaunet continued after his capture. I led a battle in which Heru'ur was killed but his First Prime survived."

"It is from him that Amaunet learned that Heru'ur did not possess her son."

"And then figured out the rest from Shau'ri's memories," Daniel said, flashing back to that desperate day and the elaborate game of cat and mouse he and Teal'c had played.

"Yes," Sho'nac answered.

"I won't tell her where he is," Daniel pledged.

"She does not need to know where the child is," Sho'nac said. "She returned to Abydos and retrieved him just days ago."

Daniel stared, struggling to comprehend the woman's words. "I'm confused," Jack said. "She put out a bounty to catch us and find out from us something she's already figured out on her own?"

"The bounty was placed many moons ago," Bra'tac said. "I sought to warn you however I was told by Landry of Oklahoma that you had perished."

"They exaggerated a little," Jack said.

"Bra'tac, we left our world without permission," Sam explained. "We're criminals."

"The leaders of the Tau'ri prefer to perpetrate the falsehood of our demise rather than to confess that we live," Teal'c said.

"It's a pride thing," Sam said. "Although, to be fair, until a month or so ago, they didn't know if we were alive or dead."

"What happened to Kasuf?" Daniel asked, worried about his father in law.

"Amaunet captured him as well. He is a prisoner in the palace."

Daniel's heart fell and his stomach churned at the thought of the older man locked up in one of Apophis' dungeons. Kasuf was - as Jack would say -a tough old bird. But he was also an old man. And dungeons were no place for old men.

"He is being treated well," Bra'tac said.

"He is not being kept in the dungeon," Sho'nac reassured him. "Rather a small chamber near the harem."

"Harem?" Sam asked.

"It is the most secure area of the palace," Teal'c said.

"She can't keep him," Daniel said, looking at the group.

"Kasuf is locked up down the hall from the harem," Jack said. "I don't get the idea that he's suffering too much."

Daniel shook his head. "Not Kasuf, the child."

"Daniel Jackson is correct," Bra'tac said. "The child is why I sought you out after learning that you yet lived."

"Do you think she'll harm the baby?" Sam asked.

"Amaunet's child is no ordinary babe in arms," Bra'tac said. "It is the child of two hosts."

"That is but a legend," Teal'c dismissed.

"What legend?" Jack asked.

"All legends have basis in fact," Bra'tac argued.

"What legends?" Jack repeated.

"For many generations, the Tau'ri were little more than legends," Sho'nac said.

"WHAT LEGENDS!" Jack yelled.

The group fell silent for a few seconds. "Once a goa'uld takes a host, that host will never have a child," Teal'c said.

Jack shook his head. "Children they technically weren't but Hathor was popping them out like crazy."

"Hathor was a queen," Sho'nac said. "She used her host's body to generate goa'uld kelma."

"Kelma?" Sam asked.

"Children," Teal'c answered. "Goa'uld queens use their human hosts' bodies to facilitate the reproduction of the goa'uld race. However they are forbidden to reproduce a HUMAN child."

"Why?" Jack asked.

"It is said that the child of two hosts is a harcesis and will possess the sum of knowledge from both its maternal and paternal bloodline," Bra'tac said.

"Carter?" Jack asked, turning to look at Sam.

"I don't know, sir. The goa'uld do have a genetic memory but…"

"They pass it onto the child," Daniel said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Think about it, Jack," he said. "A goa'uld is normally born with the genetic memory of its mother. But if that child is human, it'll have the genetic memory of both parents."

"The ultimate evil," Sam said softly. Daniel looked over at her. Her eyes were distant and unfocused.

"Sam?"

She shook her head slightly, clearing the cobwebs. "Something Jolinar knew. Thanks to their genetic memory, all goa'uld are essentially born evil. The Tok'ra were an exception to this. Now if you take several thousand years of 'evil'," she said, making quotes with her fingers. "And double that, you'd have a HUMAM possessing thousands of years of goa'uld knowledge. But they wouldn't be a goa'uld, they'd be human."

"And they would have a human's loyalty to its own race," Bra'tac said.

"That doesn't exactly sound like a bad thing," Jack said.

"Sir, imagine…Hitler with 20,000 years of experience and knowledge," Sam said.

"With a side order of megalomania and arrogance," Daniel said.

"Ok," Jack said with a shrug. "So this is a bad thing. What are we gonna do about it?"

"You must retrieve the child," Sho'nac said.

"It's a baby!" Jack said. "Don't you think we should, I dunno, wait for its head to start spinning or something?"

"Apophis originally wished for the child to be a future host," Sho'nac said. "One for him to use once his present host's body wore out. He created and sought the child in the hopes that the child's augmented knowledge would grant him an advantage over all other goa'uld."

"But he's locked up in Sokar's dungeons," Sam said.

"Amaunet now longs for that knowledge," Teal'c said.

"She does?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Sho'nac confirmed. "I have heard her speak. As soon as the boy is of an appropriate age, she wishes to abandon her current host and possess the boy."

"Can queens do that?" Sam asked.

Sho'nac nodded. "Many queens choose female hosts simply because it facilitates the collection of the code of life that will make her children compatible with their future hosts."

"Ewwe," Jack said, crinkling his face in disgust. Daniel felt his face color and he cringed, remembering all too well just how the goa'uld gathered the 'code'. And yeah, the female form was definitely 'optimized for collection'.

"So, queens choose females for convenience," Sam said.

"Yes," Sho'nac said. "Amaunet will not be mature enough to spawn for quite some time. She can inhabit a male host with no adverse side effects for many years."

"Or just long enough to conquer the universe," Jack said.

"Amaunet must not retain possession of the harcesis," Teal'c said.

"This is why I sought your assistance," Bra'tac said. "I know of no others that could attempt such a feat."

"Bra'tac, we can't exactly raid Chulak and kidnap some hairy…kid," Jack said.

"The child is not on Chulak," Sho'nac said. "Amaunet has secreted him away. She fears the other System Lords discovering her plans and gaining custody of the child."

"Even harder," Jack said. "We don't have the resources to search for the kid."

"He is on Kheb," Bra'tac said.

"Kheb is a myth," Teal'c said.

Bra'tac turned to look at his protégée. "Kheb is real," he declared.

"What's Kheb?" Sam asked.

"Heaven," Daniel said.

"Heaven?"

"It's the Jaffa equivalent of heaven," Daniel explained.

"The Goa'uld fear and despise Kheb. They forbade anyone of speaking of it long ago. It is something my father once spoke of to me. An old tale, about a place discovered long ago by a few Jaffa, and kept secret from the Goa'uld. When they could no longer carry a Primta, they would make their journey to Kheb. There the Ko'lak would learn the path through the darkness, into the next life."

"Ko'lak?" Sam asked.

"Spirit," Daniel translated.

"So it is Jaffa heaven," Jack said.

"One day, when I can no longer accept a primta, I hope to journey to Kheb," Bra'tac said.

"So you know where Kheb is?" Sam asked.

"I do not," Bra'tac said.

Daniel glanced at his friends. "Umm, doesn't that make it kinda hard for us to go get him?"

"Not with this," Sho'nac said, reaching into her dress to pull out a small scroll. "Very few worlds are forbidden for goa'uld to visit. The high priestess knew of two of them." She handed it to Teal'c. "It is very likely that one of these is Kheb."

"And the other one?" Jack asked, taking the scroll from Teal'c and glancing at it before handing it over to Sam.

"I do not know," Bra'tac said. "It is a world I have never visited."

"So, we have a 50/50 chance of finding Kheb and retrieving the kid?" Jack asked.

"And a 50/50 chance of being wrong," Sam said. Jack glared at her, which she ignored.

"We have to try," Daniel said.

"I agree with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"Couple hours?" Jack asked.

"We're going today?" Daniel asked, surprised not only that Jack had capitulated so easily but that he was considering leaving so soon.

"Unless you have something better to do," Jack said. He got to his feet and nodded towards the scroll that Teal'c was holding. "If that kid's what you say he is, the sooner we get him the better." He turned to Sam. "I don't want to gate into this place blindly. Think you two can plot a course?"

Sam reached out and took the scroll from Teal'c, holding it so that Daniel could read it. "We should be able to use the ship's navigation system," she said.

Jack nodded. "Ok. I'm gonna go clean up. We'll have some breakfast then head out."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Teal'c assisted O'Neill, setting the bundle of supplies down in the cargo hold of the teltac. "If Carter's calculations are right, this is just gonna be a day trip," O'Neill said.

"Indeed," he agreed. Teal'c glanced up at the peltac area and caught sight of Major Carter sitting in the pilot's chair. She was bent over the controls and he was sure that she was sill computing their exact course.

"It might be a bit crowded," O'Neill said. "What with six of us in here and all."

"I wished to speak to you of that," Teal'c said. "I would like to remain behind with Sho'nac."

"Ok," he replied slowly. "Tell me about her."

"What do you wish to know?"

"Who is she?"

"She is a temple priestess and has become Amaunet's confidante."

"Yeah, I got that part."

Teal'c sighed softly, aware that he needed to inform O'Neill. Yet he did not want to. It was difficult to explain a relationship that he himself did not fully understand. "After my mother and I sought refuge on Chulak, we lived in the city. Sho'nac's parents resided a short distance away. I spent much of my youth in her company."

O'Neill nodded. "Childhood sweethearts?"

"I believe that is the correct Earth terminology."

"Why didn't you marry her?"

"She had been promised to the priesthood. My fate lay in becoming a warrior. Once we received our first primta's, she lived in the temple and learned the ways of the religion. I trained with Bra'tac. Our positions enabled us to occasionally see each other, yet that is all we were allowed."

"Drey'auc?" he asked. Teal'c knew that he should bristle at O'Neill's inquiry, yet he felt no invasion of his privacy. This was information that O'Neill would need to know to fully understand.

"My marriage to Drey'auc was arranged by Apophis. A reward for a successful campaign." He looked O'Neill in the eyes. "She is the mother of my son, and always shall be."

The man sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I understand. So, you want to see if you can rekindle the old flame?" 

Teal'c raised his eyebrows, his familiarity with the human's odd turn of phrase allowing him to translate the words. "I wish to speak to her in private," he said, his words more than a request.

O'Neill shrugged. "I don't see why not. Best case scenario, we go, grab this kid and come back."

"If Amaunet indeed holds this child as dearly as Tekmate Bra'tac believes, your task may be a most difficult one," Teal'c warned.

"When are they not?" O'Neill replied. "If it's too hot, we'll just do a little recon. See if the kid is there first and get the lay of the land."

"A wise decision," Teal'c said. 

O'Neill nodded and turned his attention towards the front of the ship. "Carter?"

"All done," she said, joining them. "We can leave any time."

O'Neill nodded. "Why don't you start pre-flight. I'll go get Daniel and Bra'tac."

"Yes, sir."

He and Teal'c left the ship, making their way across the short distance to the cabin. It took just a few minutes to round up Daniel and Bra'tac. "You have about five hours," O'Neill said softly while the other two men gathered their belongings.

"Thank you, O'Neill."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam plotted the course and sat back, sighing softly as the ship jumped into hyperspace. "We have a couple of hours," she reported.

Jack nodded and glanced back at the cargo area as Daniel and Bra'tac joined them. "Supplies are stowed," Daniel said. 

"Tell me about Sho'nac," Jack requested. Sam was surprised that he'd put off asking about the woman for this long. Of course, she was more than a little curious herself.

"She is a priestess in the temple and confidante of Amaunet," Bra'tac answered. 

"We knew that," Jack said "But I get the feeling that he left something out."

Bra'tac paused and took a breath. "He left out only what he did not know," he said. "Sho'nac and Teal'c were children together."

"Childhood sweethearts," Jack interjected.

"Really?" Daniel asked.

"Yep," Jack replied, grinning.

"They were separated when they received their first primta. Sho'nac left for her life in the palace and Teal'c began his training."

"Drey'auc?" Sam asked.

"Arranged marriage," Jack said.

"As is often the way of our kind," Bra'tac said, frowning at Jack. "When one is a warrior, one has little time to woo a woman."

"So, now that him and Drey'auc are separated…" 

"No," Bra'tac answered Sam. "Sho'nac is dying."

"What?"

"She looks fine," Daniel said.

"Her primta is nearly mature. Now that Apophis is gone, new primta are difficult to obtain. When Sho'nac's matures, there is not one to replace it."

"I thought Amaunet was a queen?" Sam said.

"Amaunet is very young. She will not be capable of spawning young for many years. And she lacks the resources to acquire primta of another goa'uld."

"How long does Sho'nac have?" Daniel asked.

"Days, perhaps weeks," Bra'tac answered. 

"Does Teal'c know?" Sam asked.

"She will tell him today. That is why she wished for them to be alone."

Sam shrugged. "They'll have most of the day."

An awkward silence fell over the group and Sam looked down, suddenly wishing that the trip was either a lot longer or a lot shorter. If it was longer, they'd likely go and nap and if it was shorter, well there'd be no need to find a way to kill time.

"That they will," the colonel said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a battered deck of cards. "Why don't you put that thing on autopilot. Bra'tac, have you ever heard of the Earth game poker?"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sho'nac walked beside Teal'c, her hand clasped in his. "You have chosen a beautiful home," she said.

"This is indeed a pleasant planet," he agreed.

"It is the end of the hot season?" she asked, sliding her hand from his to step off the path. She trailed her hand along the ripe grasses.

"Yes. The Tau'ri call it summer. Autumn will soon be upon us, then winter."

She turned and smiled at him. "Those are beautiful names. I have always loved the…autumn season. Everything is so full and ripe."

"Major Carter has expressed her enjoyment of the colors of the trees as they prepare for winter."

"You used to like that too," she said, turning back to look at him. "I remember when we were young, we would play amongst the fallen leaves."

Teal'c smiled, his mind going back to happier days so many years ago. He closed his eye and could hear again the soft crunch of the leaves under their feet, see the soft rain of color when the wind blew, sending the leaves floating down from the trees. He remembered the two of them spinning and running, playing in the Champa Grove. "I remember," he said, opening his eye to look upon her face.

She was smiling at him, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders. She walked towards him, a late blooming flower clasped loosely in her fingers. She reached out her free hand and touched his face, her fingers gently tracing over his skin and the scars that marked it. "Bra'tac did not tell me that you had been injured," she said softly.

"He did not know," he replied, for once not feeling insecure or ashamed of the marks marring his flesh.

"How did it happen?" She continued to caress his skin and he looked into her eyes, seeing not pity but concern and caring.

"Earth was attacked. I was injured," he said, refusing to go into details. She did not need to know of the paralyzing pain that had washed over him. Of his fear as he lay there, barely conscious enough to be aware of his life's blood as it drained from him. Of his horror as he looked down and saw the mangled mess that was his hand. As his fingers explored the sticky wetness that was what was left of his face.

She did not need to know of the weakness that plagued him, the humiliation at not being able to care for himself. At needing assistance to bathe and even feed himself.

He did not speak of how it felt to be the object of pity. How much he loathed the quickly averted glances and the awkward attempts to lend him assistance.

He did not tell her that one of the reasons he was grateful to be with his friends was because they were of the few that treated him with honor instead of an object of pity and sadness.

"And you fought bravely," she said, drawing him from his memories and back into the present. "Or you would not be alive."

"I am alive only because Major Carter would not permit me to die," he confessed.

"Of what do you speak?" she asked, frowning.

"My primta was dead and I was dying," he said, his eyes dropping in shame. Sho'nac's fingers grabbed his chin and lifted his head, forcing him to look at her. "Major Carter removed the primta from another Jaffa and gave it to me."

"Then I owe her a debt of gratitude," she said. "For she returned you to me." He remained silent, not wishing to argue with her. She narrowed her eyes and studied his face. "You do not agree."

"I have resigned myself to my fate."

"You have resigned yourself to being alive?"

"I have resigned myself to being kek," he corrected.

She shook her head. "You are not kek." Her hand left his face and traced his arms. "If anything, you are stronger than I have ever seen you."

"You call this strength?" he demanded, lifting his stump in front of her face. "Is this strong?" He tore off the leather cup he wore to protect his skin, revealing the remains of his arm. The skin was pale and the scars from the stitches stood out in stark relief. "Or this?" he took off the patch and revealed to her the empty socket that once held his eye.

She stared at him for a second, seemingly taken aback by his outburst. "That is nothing but the outer shell. Something that our kol'mak uses for a period of time before it moves on to Kheb. It is a shell that we discard quite easily when the spirit leaves it." She lowered her hand and settled it over his chest. "This is your true strength. This is what matters. For if the heart is weak, the body matters not."

He pulled back. "Those are easy words for a woman to say."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do not dismiss me because I am not a male. Do not fool yourself that I do not know a warrior's heart. If your heart was weak, even the strongest primta would not have kept you from death." She stared at him for a few seconds then pushed herself away. "Bah," she exclaimed in disgust. "I was a fool. I should have listened to Bra'tac and not come."

She stalked away and Teal'c watched her, then followed, his curiosity driving him. "Why did you come?" he asked.

"It does not matter. Your friends will return soon," she called over her shoulder.

He sped up and caught her, grabbing her arm to make her turn to face him. "They will not return for several hours. You could have simply let Bra'tac relay your information."

She glared then dropped her eyes and sighed. "Is it so difficult to believe that I was happy to hear that you yet lived and that I wished to see you?"

"Perhaps I would believe that if I did not already know that you are not a sentimental woman," Teal'c said.

She looked at him and something glittered in her gaze. Something Teal'c couldn't quite place. Or could he?

  
_Teal'c watched as the two slaves dragged the body of the woman from the chamber, only the odd adornment around her neck separating her from the ones that had come before, and the ones that would follow._

_"He was not pleased?" Bra'tac asked, moving close so that they could speak privately._

_"No," Teal'c said. "Apophis' new queen has most specific tastes."_

_"One of those that you have acquired will please her…eventually," Bra'tac reassured him._

_"I wish for it to happen soon, Tek'mate. Before more die needlessly."_

_"I know." Bra'tac placed his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "At least you can take comfort in the fact that Sho'nac does not carry the queen. She will not be subject to the whims of another for several more cycles."_

  
Teal'c blinked his eyes, banishing the memory of several years ago. Sho'nac, despite her position as a priestess had not been chosen to carry Amaunet because she was already carrying a half-mature primta. Yameta had been given that honor instead. And had nearly died because of it. 

"Your primta is mature," he said, voicing his feeling.

"Yes," she confirmed. She laid her hand upon her belly. "It could take a host right now."

"You should not be here. You should be in the temple, readying yourself for the ceremony," he admonished.

She shook her head. "There will be no ceremony. Teal'c, with Apophis imprisoned, there are very few new primta. And those that do exist are reserved for those that protect Amaunet."

"Surely your position-"

"Gains me noting," she interrupted. "Amaunet's resources are limited. This is why I wished to come and see you. Why I…I wanted to see the warrior that my friend has become. She smiled and reached out, her hand again caressing his face.

"There must be another way," he said, reaching up to grasp her wrist.

"Always the warrior. Tek'mate Bra'tac admires that in you."

"Sho'nac-"

"This is my fate. I have made my peace with it," she interrupted. "And I ask that you do the same."

"And if I am not prepared to accept it?"

"Then, just like those that dread the dawn, you will be disappointed when the universe does not alter itself to your liking."

Unable to counter her words, he drew her close, struggling to control the rage that bubbled in his chest. Rage at being granted his ultimate wish, only to have it snatched away.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"Hey, look, there's trees," Jack said, peering over Carter's shoulder as the teltac swept low over the planet.

Bra'tac glanced over at her and Sam shook her head, refusing to say anything. "There's life forms too," Daniel said, reaching around Bra'tac to point to the fuzzy red dots on the scanner.

"Quite a few of them," Sam said, manipulating the controls to bring up a clearer picture.

"These are not all human," Bra'tac said.

"They're human?"

"Some are," Bra'tac answered Jack. He pointed to the screen. "There appear to be two separate groups. These, near some structures that read as caves, and others, out in the open, near a water source."

"How close can you get?" Jack asked.

"Very," Sam answered. "But even if we engage the cloak, they'll hear the ship and feel the wind it disturbs."

Jack sighed. "So we'll have to do this the hard way." He looked to Bra'tac. "Can you tell if they're human or Jaffa?"

"Not at this distance. It is also possible that Amaunet did not send the child with Jaffa."

"Wouldn't it be safer that way?"

"Not necessarily. Jaffa will attract attention, while a group of humans are unremarkable."

"The only way we can know for sure is to eyeball them," Sam said.

Jack nodded, agreeing with her. "Set us down out of earshot. We'll hike in and take a look."

"Yes, sir."

Bra'tac wrapped his fingers around the yoke, maneuvering the ship away from the life signs and toward a small clearing a couple of miles away. He set the ship down and powered down the engines. It took the four of them just a few minutes to gear up and leave the ship.

"Everyone-"

"Remember where we parked," Sam and Daniel chorused, interrupting Jack.

He glared at them and the four of them set off towards the life signs. They fell into a single file line, Bra'tac in the lead, Sam and Daniel in the middle and Jack bringing up the rear. 

There was nothing remarkable about the planet, Daniel thought as he walked. In fact, it reminded him of countless others, temperate and rich with life. Birds flitted amongst the trees and various small creatures skittered through the underbrush. 

It would be a perfect place to hide the child. A planet with nothing that anyone would want, thus nothing to make it remarkable or notable.

The sound of voices penetrated the natural noises of the planet and the group of them stopped, spreading out and peering through the bushes. Daniel stared at a group of people in recognizable SGC uniforms standing beside a large body of water. "What are they doing?" he whispered to Jack who was right beside him.

Jack shook his head and Daniel turned his attention back to the group. As he watched, they pulled something out of the water and Daniel recognized the fishing nets. "Why are they fishing?" he whispered.

Jack shook his head again and glared, trying to hush Daniel with a look. Daniel heard a way too familiar squeeing sound and looked back at the group. He stared in horror as they pulled a net full of squirming creatures from the water. Even from this distance, he could recognize the form of a goa'uld symbiote.

The men maneuvered the net, neatly dumping the struggling symbiotes into containers. They were sealed away and the men tossed the nets again, two of them even stepping out into the water. They watched until the group pulled in two more catches before Jack gave the signal and the four of them slipped back into the bush, gaining some distance from the stream so that they could talk. "Did I just see what I thought I saw?" Sam asked.

"Why would the Tau'ri be harvesting symbiotes?" Bra'tac asked.

"I don't know," Jack said. "It doesn't make any sense."

"What are symbiotes doing swimming in a stream?" Sam asked.

"More importantly than that, why aren't they afraid of them?" Daniel asked.

"Daniel?"

"Stepping into a lake full of goa'uld is tantamount to wading across a river full of piranha," he said. "Except in this case you don't get eaten alive."

"That's debatable," Jack muttered.

A loud roar cut through the silence and the four of them tensed, reaching for their weapons. Another roar was punctuated by the sharp crack of gunfire and the four of them returned to their vantage point, watching in horror as three large creatures attacked the fishermen. "Hold fire," Jack ordered.

"Jack!"

"That's an order."

The fight by the stream was short and over in just seconds. Two of the creatures lay dead while the third one retreated noisily into the under brush. 

"Sanchez is dead," one of the men reported, kneeling over a fallen human.

"Loeder's hurt bad," another one called out, kneeling beside the second injured man.

"Bring him. Leave that carrion," the commander ordered. He bent over and picked up the container, seeming to have no issue with its large size and bulk.

Within minutes, the humans were gone and Daniel could only guess that they were retreating back to the gate. Jack held them in place for a few minutes, then cautiously stepped out of hiding, making his way over to the bank of the stream.

Bra'tac stretched out a warning hand. "Symbiotes can jump an impressive distance," he warned.

Sam knelt down, examining the corpse that the SGC had left behind. "Sir." Jack made his way back over to her. "I think I know why they weren't afraid." She had rolled the body to its stomach and pulled down his collar. 

Daniel bent over and could clearly see the tell-tale bulge under his skin. "He's a goa'uld."

She nodded. "I have a really bad feeling I know what they're doing with those symbiotes."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack stared at Sam, doing his best to ignore the nausea roiling in his gut. A host. He was looking at an honest to god Tau'ri human host. Sam suddenly cried out, lurching back away from the body. As Jack watched, Sanchez's body jerked slightly and his head slowly moved to one side. 

A blood smeared grey shape slipped sluggishly from the man's slack lips. Jack raised his weapon and saw that Sam did the same as she tried to get away from the escaping symbiote.

Jack waited, wanting the snake to be clear of the corpse before he fired. A heavy grey boot slammed into his vision, heartlessly crushing the symbiote into a lumpy smear in the dirt. "If only all goa'uld were handled so easily," Bra'tac said.

"Yeah," Jack said, shaking his head slightly. Now that it was safe, Sam moved back towards the corpse, frowning as she stared at the gore on Bra'tac's boot. "Carter?"

"I can't sense it," she said, looking up at him. 

"Can't sense what?"

"The naqahdah. I can't sense it."

"Not when it's smeared in the dirt like that."

"No, sir. It doesn't matter if it's dead or alive or…road kill. The naqahdah is in the blood. You should be able to sense it too."

Jack frowned. "I don't do much of that sensing stuff."

"Maybe you're just tired," Daniel suggested.

Sam shook her head. "Daniel, I can sense Bra'tac's symbiote. I can feel the colonel, but I get nothing from this." She motioned towards the lake. "And if the goa'uld they were hauling out of the water is any indication, I should be getting the heebie-jeebies like crazy. But I'm not."

"So?" Daniel asked. "What?"

"All I can guess is that they don't have naqahdah in their blood."

"All goa'uld have naqahdah in them," Daniel insisted.

"I don't think so," she said. "Something's different about these."

"You mean other than living next door to Unases?" Jack asked.

"Uni," Daniel corrected.

"What?"

"Wouldn't the plural of Unas be Uni?"

"Wouldn't the plural of Unases be two too many?" he shot back.

"The Unas are nothing but a legend," Bra'tac said.

"So's the baby you guys want us to find," Jack said.

"Unas are real," Sam said. "We've run into them before."

"The life forms in the hills," Daniel said. "The ones that you said weren't human."

"This is the Unas home world?" Jack asked, his hand reflexively tightening on his weapon. 

"It makes sense," Sam said. "Think about it, sir. The Unas are called the first hosts and we know that symbiotes can survive in a watery environment. What if the Unas and the goa'uld evolved on the same planet. Maybe the goa'uld were nothing more than parasites in the water until they evolved enough to be sentient."

"And they used the Unas as a way to overcome their dependence on water," Daniel said.  
"Transportation." Sam nodded. "And over the millennia they evolved to not just be passive passengers but active participants."

"Yeah, fascinating," Jack said. "So while you guys are having fun playing wild kingdom, has it occurred to any of you that, if you're right, there's a whole planet full of Unases that just might be a bit pissed at us if they think we swiss cheesed their friends over there?" he asked, pointing towards the two Unas corpses, their primitive leather and fur clothing garishly painted with brilliant bright green blood.

"O'Neill is correct," Bra'tac said. "If this is indeed the Unas home world, Amaunet would not risk sending the boy here."

"Let's get the hell out of dodge," Jack said.

"What about him?" Sam asked, motioning towards the dead human.

"We can't risk it, and we don't have time. Bra'tac, take point. Everyone stay alert. Anything vaguely reptilian and ugly, call out. Then shoot it." 

The quartet of them made their way back towards the ship, every bush and tree now hiding a particularly horrifying menace.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"You are certain of what you saw?" Teal'c asked.

"Oh yeah," Jack said, his voice slightly singsong as he sat down at the table.

"We scanned the planet before we left," Sam said, joining them. "There were several hundred Unases in the area but several thousand across the planet."

"There was a vast quantity of goa'uld as well," Bra'tac said, wrapping his cape around his arm before he sat.

"Sam just had to tweak the sensors to see them," Daniel chimed in.

The six of them were sitting around their common room having just returned from the planet. "I cannot believe such a place exists," Sho'nac said, absently petting Gizmo as the kitten sat in her lap.

"Nor would I if I had not seen it with my own eyes," Bra'tac said.

"It explains why that planet is forbidden," Sam said.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Big ugly aliens make for bad tourism."

"I was actually thinking of how it'd ruin the goa'uld's claim of being gods if everyone could see that they're noting more than really smart fish," she said.

"That crawl into your head and take you over." Sam merely shrugged, conceding Jack's point.

"This information actually bodes well for our search," Bra'tac said.

"By proving that myths are real?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but also, we now know which planet the boy is on."

"We know which planet the boy MIGHT be on," Jack corrected.

"He is there," Sho'nac insisted.

"Then we need to go," Daniel said, looking like he was ready to drop everything and leave at precisely that moment.

"I think we're ignoring the bigger issue," Sam said.

"What issue?" Daniel asked.

"The fact that Earth has been invaded by the goa'uld," she said, not quite believing that she was having to explain it to him.

"No. Some of the SGC has been compromised," he corrected.

"Daniel, we watched them harvest about fifty of those things and take them back to Earth."

"We saw people wearing the SGC's uniform harvesting goa'uld and taking them somewhere," he said. "For all we know they're not even going to Earth. They could be rogues just like us."

"So what? Just because they might not be going to Earth we should just ignore what we saw?"

"We should worry about the more pressing issue of recovering the child," Daniel said.

"Carter?" Jack said. "What do you expect us to do?"

"We need to at least warn them," she said.

"If it is true that Stargate Command is compromised, I believe that it will be of little benefit to inform them of your discovery," Teal'c said.

"If they're doing what I think they're doing, most of the SGC has probably already been blended."

"Which means that you don't know who you can trust," Jack said.

"We'll need to go outside the chain of command. Find someone that has nothing to do with the SGC and use them to get inside," she planned.

"And you're going to do this from the jail cell they'll toss you into. Presuming that they open the iris in the first place and you don't end up smeared all over it," Jack said.

"I'll take the teltac," she said, letting her ire show. She couldn't believe that she was facing such negativity, especially from the other two humans in the room.

"We might need that to find the boy," Daniel protested.

"You have a gate address."

"We had an address to the last planet."

"So what? Just because you're obsessed with finding this kid we're supposed to just ignore that Earth has been invaded?" she shot back.

"We don't know that Earth's been invaded!"

"And we don't know that the boy is even on that planet!"

Both of them were on their feet, squaring off across the table. "That's enough," Jack said. His loud words startled Gizmo and the kitten jumped off Sho'nac's lap, scurrying to the far corner of the room. 

"Colonel?"

"There's not much we can do about Earth right now. Maybe we should just concentrate on the manageable problem."

"Sam-"

She ignored Daniel and pushed away from the table. Giving into her frustration she stomped out of the room and hurried off the porch. "Stupid, narrow minded…"

"Carter."

"Self-righteous, overbearing…"

"Carter!"

She ignored Jack and kept walking. She didn't need to hear what he was going to say. She already knew. To hell with Earth. They'd made their bed, they could lie in it. Earth wasn't their priority right now.

"For crying out loud, Carter, stop!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Let me go!" she growled through gritted teeth.

"What the hell is going on with you?"

"ME?" she demanded. "I'm not the one that's so obsessed with tracking down some baby that I'm ignoring the more pressing issue."

"Do you have any idea what you're talking about? The scale of what's involved?"

"Yes. Colonel, what the hell do you think is going to happen to all those goa'uld they fished out of that river? I sincerely doubt they're destined for a local pet shop."

"I know exactly what's going to happen with them. But I want to know just how you think you can stop it," he demanded.

"I'll bury the damn gate if I have to," she pledged.

"Sam-"

"NO!" she interrupted. "You may not give a damn about Earth, but I still do."

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to. It's obvious how you feel," she accused.

"How do I feel?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That Earth can go to hell. That they deserve whatever happens to them. That maybe, if they're distracted by their own issues they just might leave us alone." She paused and looked in his eyes. "And there's probably a few people that deserve to get a snake in the head."

Instead of protesting he sighed softly and his eyes darted to the side, signaling to her that she was at least partially right. "I take it you feel differently," he said.

"I think I would rather die than find out that Cassie or Mark or his wife or my niece or nephew spent even one minute being a slave to some goa'uld," she said, voicing the fear that had eaten as her since they'd discovered Sanchez's body.

"What do you really think you can accomplish?" he asked seriously.

"Colonel?"

"If they're honestly taking these goa'uld back to Earth, then the whole SGC has been compromised. And probably Area 51, the Pentagon, hell even the White House. How are you going to stop that?"

She stared at him, the enormity of the issue setting in. He was right. The odds that those fifty goa'uld they'd harvested were the only fifty was slim. Chances are there were now hundreds of goa'uld on Earth. And if even if they had even a fraction of the lust for power of their naqahdah-enhanced cousins, it was a foregone conclusion that Earth's leadership had to be compromised. How could she free a planet when the people she as trying to free it from had all the power?

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "But I have to try."

They stared at each other, the silence growing deep and awkward. "O'Neill," Teal'c's voice broke the stalemate.

"Yeah," Jack said, still looking at Sam.

"Daniel Jackson wishes to depart with all due haste," he said, raising his voice as he kept his distance.

"Just let me take the teltac," Sam said. "Surely Bra'tac can get another one." 

Jack looked at her for another few seconds then broke eye contact. "We need to inventory the weapons," he said, turning towards Teal'c.

Sam closed her eyes, willing her face to remain passive. At least he hadn't refused her the ship. There was that much. Just as long as he didn't try to forbid her to go. She didn't want that to happen. It would only provoke a confrontation worse than the one they'd just had. She was going back to Earth, and he wasn't going to stop her. "Carter and I will need some of it."

Her eyes flew open, his words catching her by surprise. She looked at him. "And we're going to need enough food for…" He motioned at her. "How far away is Earth?"

"Umm, three days," she stammered.

"Right, three days flight." Teal'c looked at him, raising his eyebrow. "Surely two First Primes, a High Priestess and mister triple PHD can round up one squalling kid."

"Surely," Teal'c agreed dryly. "I shall inform the others." He turned and made his way back into the cabin.

"Colonel?"

"One condition," Jack said, turning back to her. "Before we go and try to convince everyone Earth has been invaded we're getting a pizza. And you're buying." He poked her gently in the arm, then turned and reentered the cabin, leaving her alone.

No, alone wasn't quite the right word. If fact, it wasn't even close.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
The teltac lifted off and Daniel watched it shrink into the sky, jumping slightly when it broke the sound barrier and a sonic boom echoed through the trees. "I hope they know what they're doing," he said as Teal'c joined him.

"It was an action that they both feel strongly about," Teal'c answered.

"They'll be lucky if they're not shot on sight."

"Do you regret the decision to divide our forces?"

Daniel glanced over to his friend. "I wish they were coming with us," he said honestly. "Teal'c do you have any idea the enormity of what they're doing? Since they can't sense these goa'uld, there's no way to know who is or is not blended short of an MRI. And, chances are, the people that know what to look for are the very same people that have already been blended."

"Their task will indeed be a most difficult one," Teal'c agreed.

"You think we should have gone with them?" Daniel asked.

"I did not say that," Teal'c said. "Both courses of action share an immediacy."

"But which is most important?"

Teal'c smiled slightly. "Important, as Major Carter would say, is a relative term."

Daniel stared at his friend and rolled his eyes slightly. "You're not helping," he accused.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, nonplussed by Daniel's outburst. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can ascertain Sho'nac's information," he said pointedly.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

It took the four of them just moments to gather their gear and hike the short distance to the Stargate. Bra'tac dialed the address and the gate opened, its shimmering blue light dispelling the gathering gloom of twilight. "If we're lucky," Daniel said, following the others to the gate. "We'll be back in time for breakfast."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack checked the readings on the autopilot, the name of one of the systems they were passing by standing out from the rest. Praxis. Or that was the human translation of the goa'uld symbols. Jack was sure if he asked Carter, she could work out the standard letter/number combination.

But, no matter what it was called, it was still the same planet. Praxis.

Which, a year ago, was also known as Ba'al's home base. 

If he closed his eyes, he could still see the palace. Hear his boot steps on the slate floors. Smell the sweet aroma of beeswax candles. Feel the soft caress of luxurious sheets and fine clothes. Taste the rich red wine Ba'al had favored.

Jack's stomach churned at the memory. He hated wine. Even before Ba'al, he HATED wine. It was like drinking battery acid. He'd gladly drink the worst rotgut beer before he'd even consider the highest quality wine.

The booze was just one of the many things he found disgusting about his time with Ba'al. Actually, it was the least of his bad memories. Memories he'd done his best to forget during the past year. Memories that he knew would haunt him until his dying day.

He remembered a lot of his time with Ba'al. More than he really liked to admit. The goa'uld would spend his days puttering and playing. Working on project after project. A lot of the details had slipped through Jack's brain, words and phrases that he had a hard time translating into English. All he knew for sure was that, instead of managing mines and enslaving the populace, Ba'al had spent his days working on things. Technical things. With wires and crystals and the goa'uld equivalent of circuit boards and transistors.  
Things that Carter was a lot better suited to understanding.

Jack sat up in the chair, an odd thought clawing at the back of his brain. Stuff. Praxis was full of stuff. Technical stuff. Things with bells and whistles and blinky lights.

Pushing himself up from the chair, Jack made his way back to the cargo compartment. "Carter?"

She was sitting on the floor, dangling a shoelace in front of Gizmo. The kitten was lying on her back and batting at it playfully. "We can't be there yet," she said, not even looking up.

"What? No." Jack shook his head. "Why the hell did you bring that thing?" he asked, joining her on the floor.

"I wasn't going to leave her behind to starve," she said. "Who knows how long Daniel and the others will be gone?"

"Right. Look, umm how do you feel about a little side trip?"

"Side trip where?"

"I think I know where we can pick up some goodies."

"Goodies?"

Jack sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. "Not…not every goa'uld is obsessed with naqahdah mines," he said. He looked her in the eyes. "Ba'al was working on some really technical stuff. He was obsessed with shield generators and force fields and gravity."

"Ba'al?" 

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

"Colonel, I-"

"Carter," he interrupted. "I think we need to stop by Praxis."

She shook her head. "Praxis?"

"The place where you aah, where um, I was…where he." He took a deep breath. "Ba'al had a lot of very cool crap. Crap that I think we can use."

"We can't go invading a goa'uld palace," she protested.

"Why the hell not? It's my goddamn palace. I can do whatever I want with it."

"It's Ba'al's palace."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "It WAS Ba'al's palace. Now it's abandoned. And abandoned places are ripe for the picking."

"If this place was so ripe, why haven't you suggested it before?" she asked. 

"Oh gee, I don't know. Why wouldn't I invite y'all over for dinner and a little exploration?" he asked sarcastically. 

"Sorry," she said, chastised by the tone of his voice. 

She'd stopped playing with Gizmo and the kitten moved over to Jack, one paw exploring his pants leg. Jack reached out and picked it up, settling the small creature on his lap. "Don't be," he said. "This isn't my favorite place in the universe either, but I think we can benefit from some of the stuff there."

"What stuff?"

"The personal cloak you left behind for one," he said. "Gravity and shield generators, hell failing that we can find some zats. Something more than what we have right now."

"You're sure you want to do this?" she asked. "I mean, the cloak would certainly come in handy but…"

"I'm sure."

"Ok," she agreed. "We could use some help," she said.

He nodded, taking Gizmo off his lap and handing the kitten to her. "I'll go plot the course. Planet's only about three hours away."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"This is indeed a place of magic," Bra'tac said, following Teal'c as his former student led them through the dense forest.

Above their heads, birds flitted from branch to branch. A light breeze wafted between the trees and bits of sunlight danced on the ground. Daniel Jackson did not respond and Bra'tac looked over to the young human. Although he walked at their side, Bra'tac couldn't help but wonder if the man's heart was elsewhere.

"You do not agree?" Bra'tac asked.

"What?"

"Do you not agree that this place is magical?" Bra'tac pressed.

"It's a very nice planet," he replied. "Look, Bra'tac, this may be heaven to you, but to me, it's just a planet."

Bra'tac frowned. "You do not seek heaven?"

He smiled. "Heaven is…more of a concept to us than reality," he answered. Bra'tac frowned and he saw Teal'c glance back. The four of them stopped walking. Jackson sighed. "Ok, for humans…we're a pretty terrestrial society. There's only a very tiny percentage of our population that even knows that there's life on other planets. So, unlike you, we can't go looking for heaven. There's no mystical planet or…heaven is just this mystical concept. You die and you go to 'heaven'," he said, making odd gestures with his hands. "And that's it."

"That is a most odd philosophy," Sho'nac said.

"Yet it is a very common belief among humans," Teal'c said. "Earth has a wide variety of religions, however most share a belief in a magical location that is a reward for a life well lived."

"You said your father told you stories about Kheb," Jackson said.

"He did," Bra'tac confirmed.

"What did he say?"

"He spoke of an untouched planet with great mountains. A temple is in a valley some distance from the chappai," Bra'tac remembered.

Jackson looked around. "Well, presuming that 'untouched' means uninhabited, we have two of the three criteria."

"This is Kheb," Sho'nac said. "I can feel it." She broke off and closed her eyes, one arm clutching at her middle.

"Sho'nac? Are you ok?" Jackson asked as Teal'c moved to support her.

"I will be fine," she said, forcing a smile on her face.

"You don't look fine."

"It is her primta," Bra'tac said.

"That thing is ready to take a host?"

"My primta could take a host, yes," Sho'nac said, straightening up. "But it will not."

"And you have its word on that," he said. "Look, I'm not trying to be difficult here, but last I knew, a goa'uld can't take a Jaffa as a host as long as that Jaffa has a…incubated, primta, thing. And we're on an uninhabited planet so if that symbiote goes looking for a new home, I'm the only candidate."

"It will not take you as host," she repeated.

"Perhaps, Daniel Jackson, if you are concerned, it would be best if we complete our task as swiftly as possible," Teal'c said. Bra'tac noted how his student stood near Sho'nac, one arm protectively close to hers.

"Yeah, maybe it would be best," Jackson agreed. Bra'tac noted the human's tone of voice and determined that he too had noticed the telling gesture.

"That way," Bra'tac decided, using his staff weapon to indicate a direction.

Teal'c nodded and stepped to the fore. The quartet fell into step and Bra'tac brought up the rear, indulging himself in one last look. This planet was magic, he could feel it in his bones.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam sat in the pilot's seat and directed the teltac through the thick layer of clouds. "This is gonna be a little bumpy," she warned.

"Afternoon thunderstorm time," Jack said. "That's the reason Ba'al liked the place."

"He was a weather junkie?" she asked, looking over at him. He'd been doing that a bit more often lately, mentioning Ba'al and imparting little bits and memories of his six months spent as a host to the goa'uld. In one way it was unnerving to hear him speak so freely about it, but in another it was a little reassuring. It was nice not to have the forbidden topic lingering between them.

"Lightening. He kept thinking he could find a way to harness it and use the power," Jack said.

"Really? Did he have any luck?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Just kept blowing stuff up." The teltac broke through the clouds and Sam took a moment to orient herself before steering the ship towards the clearing they'd used on their last visit. "Where are you going?"

"We used that clearing last time," she explained.

"Land on the roof," he instructed. "There's no need to waste a few hours slogging through the bush."

"Colonel-"

"Trust me, the landlord won't mind," he said ironically.

"Guess not," Sam replied, following his instructions and landing on the roof. She really wasn't sorry that they weren't using the clearing. Night was falling on the planet and she was really in no mood for a long hike in the dark. Nor was she fond of being stuck in the ship and waiting until morning. A sense of urgency drove her on, pushing her to get to Earth as quickly as they could. "I'm not reading any life signs," she said, manipulating the sensors. "At least nothing large enough to be a Jaffa."

Jack shrugged. "Not much reason to stay," he said. "All clichés aside, most Jaffa aren't big on independent thinking. If there's no one here to tell them what to do, they'll go looking for someone else to lead them."

"I guess when you're programmed your whole life to obey and follow, when you lose one leader, you just find another," she said. "I always forget that Teal'c is more the exception than the rule."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Why do you think they brand Jaffa?" he asked, standing up. "It's to make it harder for them to switch sides."

Sam powered down and secured the ship before also getting to her feet. She followed Jack into the cargo area where they both geared up. Despite the sensor readings that the palace was empty, they both were fully armed.

As they checked their weapons, Gizmo played at their feet, doing her best to engage Jack's shoelaces in mortal combat. "You're not dragging that thing along, are you?" he asked, picking the kitten up and setting her on Sam's bedroll.

"I thought about it," Sam said. "But someone needs to watch the ship."

"Oh yeah, I feel so much better with her watching my six."

Sam glared, taking a moment to pour some water in a bowl and set it on the deck. "You're the one that dragged her home," she reminded, joining him at the hatch.

"Teal'c brought her home," he clarified. 

"To save your socks," she shot back. 

The door opened and they stepped outside, using a remote to lock the door and secure the ship before continuing across the roof. Jack took up the lead, guiding her to a stairwell. It was pitch black and they both reached for their flashlights. Jack directed her down two levels and out into a hall.

It was just as dark as the stairwell, the inner halls of the palace totally lacking in windows. Not that there was much light to spill in from the outside anyway. Praxis had no moon. 

"Someone hasn't been paying the light bill," Sam said.

"There's no electricity," Jack said. "Ba'al was big on the whole torches thing. We could probably light a few." Sam shined her light up high and revealed a line of empty sconces.   
"Or not," he said.

Their footsteps echoed eerily off the walls and even though the darkness and thick layer of dust indicated that the palace had been deserted for quite some time, she still couldn't escape the feeling that they were being watched.

Cobwebs danced in the corners and bits of trash and debris littered the floor. "It looks like the maid hasn't been doing her job," Sam said, feeling the need to say something.

"Remind me to ask for a refund."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Armory," Jack answered. He turned to the right and led her down a narrow corridor. "This should have everything we need." He opened the door, revealing an empty chamber.

"It certainly had everything someone needed," she replied. What had once been neat shelves and containers was now little more than scattered and abandoned trash, the room having been thoroughly scavenged.

"Damn vultures," Jack complained, stepping into the room. He kicked aside some of the debris.

"It has been over a year," she reminded.

"I know." Jack sighed. "I'd just kinda hoped since no one had moved in, they'd left the place alone."

"The goa'uld are a race of scavengers. Picking the bones clean is part of their genetic makeup," she reminded. "Anyway, it's possible that some of the Jaffa used scavenged stuff to buy favor with a new master."

"Yeah, well the goa'uld are also big on secrets. Come on." He left the room and she followed.

"Now what?"

"Ba'al kept most of his stuff here, but he didn't even trust his Jaffa." He glanced back at her. "He kept a cache in his room."

Sam stopped. "His room?"

"Yeah." Jack confirmed, turning back to look her in the eyes. He held the flashlight up, sending the beam towards the ceiling. "You can wait out in the hall," he offered. "It'll just take me a minute to see if it's untouched or not."

Sam stared at him for a moment, the thought of revisiting that room making her distinctly queasy. He'd done all of his 'interrogation' in that room. Spending what she later found out was hours using the ribbon weapon on her, doing everything he could to cause her pain. More than once, she'd thought she'd die in that room. And, a couple of times, she'd even wish that she would die. Just to make it all go away.

That room was what she saw in her nightmares. And it was one place in the universe she'd never wanted to return to.

Of course, she hadn't been the only one Ba'al had tortured in that room. "It's just a room," she said quickly, taking a deep breath. "And we shouldn't split up."

"Look, Sam-"

"We're only here because you're helping me," she interrupted. "If you can come back here, I can sure as hell go into a room." She stared at him for a second. "Let's go," she said. "We don't want to leave Gizmo alone for long, do we?"

"Oh, definitely not," he agreed, surrendering to her bravado.

He led her back to the stairs and up a level to a hall that Sam recognized. This area too showed signs of being scavenged. Debris was scattered on the floor and the walls were scuffed and scratched.

She didn't need Jack to lead her to Ba'al's chambers. The ornate double doors that had guarded his inner sanctum hung open now, both showing signs of having been forced open. "I guess nothing's sacred," she said, trying to dispel the nervous feeling in her stomach.

Jack pushed the door aside and she followed him into the room. She shined her light around, oddly reassured that it had been trashed and ransacked just like the rest of the palace. It no longer resembled the room where she'd spent so many torturous hours. The hearth was cold and dark and she couldn't even smell the faintest trace of smoke.

The table, rug and chairs that had once stood in front of the fireplace were gone, as were the other furnishings in the room. Even the tapestries had been stripped off the walls. 

Only the remnants of Ba'al's giant bed stood in the room, and even that had been plundered. The linens were gone, as was the mattress and drapes. The wooden frame lay awkwardly on the floor, broken into a dozen pieces.

"Damn," Jack cursed softly.

"I guess we need to get back to the ship," Sam said, interpreting his words to mean that the cache was gone.

"I liked that bed." Jack walked towards the ruined piece of furniture. "If it'd been intact, I was going to see if it would fit in the teltac."

"You were going to drag back a bed?" Sam asked, slightly puzzled by the frivolity of his idea.

"This wasn't just a bed," he said, glancing up at her as he moved aside the shattered frame. "Twelve solid inches of down. It was like sleeping on air." Sam remained silent, content to simply watch as he continued to move the bed aside. He held up a sideboard. The thick plank had a line of holes drilled through it. "He'd make the slaves tighten these ropes once a week." He tossed the board away and it clattered across the tile, the sound echoing off the bare walls. "And the sheets…they'd wash them with some herb. I never could place the smell."

She sighed and glared, wondering if he'd lost his mind. She never should have agreed to this. They shouldn't have come back here. Maybe he'd finally had too much and…

"You wanna know the best part?" he asked, smiling. "NONE of them had any idea what they were dealing with."

He splayed his hand across the wall and Sam heard a metallic click. As she watched, a section of floor that used to be under the bed moved, sliding aside to reveal an open space. Intrigued, she moved forward, her eyes going wide as she shined her light into the hole. 

A treasure trove was laid out before them. Some of it she recognized, zats, TERs and shock grenades, along with bars that could only be naqahdah. "Here you go." He tossed something at her and she instinctively caught it. The lost cloaking device fit neatly into the palm of her hand. She barely remembered when he'd taken the device from her, sneering haughtily as he mocked her efforts. "When did you---"

"One of the times you were unconscious," he interrupted. "He couldn't afford to have Yu or Cronos find out that he had it." He started to pull items out of the chamber and lay them on the floor. "We may need to make a few trips."

She shoved the cloak into her pocket and knelt down beside him, helping him pull things out of the hidden chamber. It was about three feet deep and Jack finally had to lie on his stomach to pull out the last few bits and pieces.

As Sam sorted the stuff into piles, Jack picked up a small box. "I wish they'd have at least left the sheets," she said. "We could have used them to bundle this stuff up." She surveyed the bounty. They had six zats and three ribbon weapons along with an even dozen shock grenades. There were also twenty large gold ingots as well as six heavy bars of naqahdah. Sam opened up a small pouch and stared in amazement as dozens of diamonds sparkled back, brilliant even in the dim light.

"We just have to drag it out to the rings," he said, getting to his feet. "Hold still." He moved behind her.

"What? Is it a bug?" she asked, obeying his orders.

"I think Elton has one of these." Sam felt him slide something onto her head. "Calls it his tantrum tiara." She moved to stand in front of her, cocking his head. "Not bad, although I never considered you the tiara type."

Sam reached up and pulled it off her head, muttering a couple of curses when it caught in her shoulder length hair. It really was a tiara. What she guessed to be diamonds and rubies were arranged in a pretty - if ostentatious - design. She shook her head and set the tiara down. "That might come in handy the next time Daniel loses his gun," she said, doing her best to tamp down on her frustration. "Anything else valuable in there?" He stared at her for a few seconds, the playful grin slowly replaced by a frown. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing." He turned his back to her. "No." He turned back. "Do you have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"That." He gestured towards the tiara. She stared at him, confused as to what he was talking about. "Would it kill you to lighten up a bit and have some fun?"

"Fun?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, fun. You know, enjoying something, taking a moment to appreciate life, smelling the roses and all that," he ranted waving his hands.

"There aren't any roses here," she said, also getting to her feet.

He stared for a few seconds then shook his head and sighed. "Let's just go." He picked up the tiara and put it in its box before starting to gather up some of the other stuff. 

She watched him for a second. "How is this supposed to be fun?" she asked, unable to resist. 

"Carter?"

"Tell me. If I'm supposed to be having fun, what exactly in this room is supposed to be fun?" she demanded, letting her anger grow. "What part of the past two years was fun? Was it scavenging for food? Was it almost freezing to death last winter? Maybe it was when you got sick from that tainted meat and we thought you were going to die. Or was it learning that we're hunted by the SGC as well as a good chunk of the galaxy. Or maybe it was learning that all this was for nothing and that we became wanted criminals just because we were too goddamn impatient and too caught up in our own sense of importance."

"Ok, so maybe going rogue wasn't the smartest idea I've ever had," he said. "But unless you've gotten really good at predicting solar flares all we can do is live in the present. And that's a hell of a lot easier to do when you're not obsessing about the past."

"I don't obsess," she protested.

"You don't?" he challenged. "This is the first time you've left home since Jacob died. You don't have your lab to hide in, so you spend your entire day puttering around the cabin. And don't deny it. I've noticed, Teal'c's noticed, hell even Daniel's noticed. Why else do you think he's developed this sudden fixation with learning to cook? It gives him something to do while he hangs around all day keeping an eye on you." He stopped and stared at her for a second while she remained silent, slightly shocked by his words. "I'm gonna start taking this stuff to the rings."

He held the box out to her. "Take it. It's yours," he said when she did as he bade. "Wear it, sell it. I don't care. You can even leave it here to be a housewarming gift for the next tenants." He gathered up an armful of stuff and carried it out of the room, leaving Sam alone. She looked down at the box in her hands, his words washing over her.

  
_'Would it kill you to lighten up a bit and have some fun?'_

  
She tried to remember the last time she'd done something just for the hell of it. She didn't have her bike, not that they'd have gas for it anyway. And she certainly didn't have her lab. Her DVD collection and TV were behind on Earth, as was her stash of trashy novels. And there was always so much to do around the cabin. Things to fix or make. She'd never realized how much of an infrastructure they'd taken for granted until it was gone. How inconvenient and distasteful she found their outhouse and what a pain in the ass it was to have to dispose of their own trash.

When exactly was she supposed to have time to have fun? And how could she justify wasting any of their limited resources on something so trivial?

"I thought you were in a hurry," he said, returning, his arms empty. "This'll go a whole lost faster if we both do it." He scooped up more of the cache and left the room.

Sam sighed and shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Carefully tucking the box under her arm, she turned her attention to the stash. Shucking her jacket, she filled it with the zats and stun grenades, then followed in Jack's footsteps, carrying her burden towards the rings.

He was right, they were on a mission and the mission was more important than her feelings.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel slowly walked under the archway and stared at his surroundings. The temple was huge, far larger than he'd imagined, and in immaculate condition. "I am reminded of Lord Yu's holdings," Bra'tac said.

"You have seen them?" Sho'nac asked.

"Once," Bra'tac replied. "Many years ago. Apophis attempted to capture one of his palaces."

"Makes sense," Daniel said. "Especially given Yu's preference towards the Chinese culture." He stepped forward and gently touched the branches of one of the small trees growing in the courtyard. "This place doesn't feel very goa'uldish though."

"It does not," Teal'c agreed. "In fact, it feels like no place that I have ever been."

"This is holy ground," Daniel muttered, walking slowly across the courtyard.

"It is indeed," Bra'tac agreed. "It is Kheb."

"I believe that you are correct," Teal'c said.

"Then the child must be here," Sho'nac said.

"Yes, he is."

Daniel spun, not believing that he was hearing what he thought he was hearing. "Shau'ri," he whispered, barely noticing the two Jaffa that stood at her side.

Daniel felt Teal'c and Bra'tac tense, the two of them closing ranks and stepping between Sho'nac and Amaunet. "I am Amaunet," she said, staring at Daniel. "That name belongs to the shell that is my host."

Daniel shook his head. "Something of the host survives," he said. "We've seen it. Shau'ri, I know you're in there and I know you can hear me-"

"Silence!" Amaunet yelled as she raised her left hand, the ribbon weapon glinting dully in the sun. Her two guards raised and armed their weapons. 

"SHAU'RI!" Daniel stepped forward, ignoring the two staff weapons that were pointed at him. "I know you're in there. I spoke to you just a year ago, right before the baby was born."

"I played you for a fool. You spoke to me," Amaunet insisted, her eyes glowing angrily.

Daniel shook his head. "No. I spoke to my wife."

"I witnessed this conversation and Daniel Jackson spoke to no goa'uld," Teal'c said.

"You are a fool, Jaffa," she snarled. "As is the one who came before you." She glared at Bra'tac.

"You are the fool if you believe that you can harm someone here," a calm voice said.

Not recognizing the voice, Daniel spun, staring in amazement at a man standing in the threshold of the temple. He looked to be of Asian descent and was dressed in gold and crimson robes that reminded Daniel of a monk's attire.

He barely blinked an eye as the two Jaffa accompanying Shau'ri turned their attention to him. "Your weapons will not function," he said. "And your violent ways are not welcome."

"Umm, we didn't come to be violent," Daniel said.

"We came seeking a child," Sho'nac said.

"They seek my son," Amaunet said.

"No," Daniel said. "Not HER son. The biological child of her host."

The monk studied the group, slowly looking each of them in the eye. "Do you all seek the   
child?"

"Yes," Bra'tac said. "Some for better reasons than others." He looked pointedly towards Amaunet.

"Why do YOU seek the child?" the monk asked Daniel. 

"Umm…" He paused, trying to find a reason that sounded good. Listening to his instinct, he spoke the truth. "If the child is what we think he is, he's too dangerous for them to have."

"And you believe that you are better to care for him?" he asked.

"Better than them." The monk stared at him.

"She wishes to possess the child," Sho'nac said. "She will use him and his knowledge to further her own ambitions."

"He is my son!" Amaunet said loudly.

The monk turned his attention to her. "He is a being that only your host could create. And you are aware of what he is…of what he can be."

"She is," Sho'nac said. She stepped forward, placing herself between Amaunet and the monk. "She told me herself."

"Hataka!" Amaunet roared, raising her left hand again, this time the center stone flared into life.

"NO!" Daniel screamed, hearing Teal'c do the same. Daniel threw himself at Shau'ri even as he barely understood why. Searing pain washed over him as he fell on top of her, both of them falling to the ground.

He heard an agonizing scream and realized - just before he passed out - that it was coming from him.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

Jack checked the readings and dropped the ship out of hyperspace, indulging himself in taking a moment to appreciate the majesty of Saturn's rings as they flew by.

He activated the cloak and checked the autopilot, insuring that they were on a course to Earth before he got up, going back to the cargo area.

Sam was asleep in one of the sleeping bags. His sleeping bag. Hers was in a pile in the corner, bits of down peeking out from the torn and ruined nylon.

Jack had given her first watch, sleeping for a little bit before relieving her about six hours ago. As near as Jack could tell, she'd been asleep ever since. She was curled up on her side, Gizmo nestled next to her belly. Jack reached out to shake Sam awake, quickly pulling his hand back when the kitten opened her eyes, hissing angrily.

"Scratch me and we'll find out if you really have nine lives," he threatened softly. "Carter," he said louder, keeping his hand clear.

Sam blinked, her eyes slowly opening. "Colonel?"

"We're just passing Saturn," he told her, getting to his feet.

She sat up and stretched before following him to the peltac. "We're cloaked?"

"Yep. As soon as we dropped out of hyperspace." She nodded and sat down, pressing some buttons to call up the sensors. "I never got around to asking, but you do have a plan?"

"Mmhm," she replied, not taking her eyes off the display. Through the view screen he watched as they flew past the giant crimson shape of Mars and continued towards the tiny blue and green orb that was Earth.

"A plan," he said. "Hopefully something a bit more in depth than just dropping this baby at the SGC's front gate."

"Yes, I have a plan," she said, taking the yoke and turning off the autopilot.

"Care to share?"

"We still don't know how widespread the invasion is. It could be a few dozen or it could be a few hundred."

"I'm betting on the latter."

"And," she continued, ignoring his interruption. "If that team really was taking goa'uld back to Earth, then it's logical to assume that most - if not all - of the SGC has been compromised."

"Spock would be proud."

"So it's also logical to assume that at least some of the Joint Chiefs, the White House and Area 51 have also been possessed."

"Which happens to be the very same folks we'd be asking for help," he said, unable to resist poking a hole in her story.

"I don't think it's very likely that the general public has been exposed though," she continued, still not looking at him. "There's no way they'd be able to cover that up." She maneuvered the ship around the moon and Jack craned his neck, dismissing the thought of asking her to detour a little. It'd be kinda cool to see if Armstrong's footprints were still there.

"Your plan," he pressed, losing patience with the back-story.

"If we go after the general personnel, we'll be stopped and probably killed or implanted within a day." She turned to look at him. "So we start at the top. Presume that anyone of any rank has been compromised and free them first. We then use them - and their authority - to help us with the others."

He nodded. "And you realize that the people you're going after are probably the most guarded on the planet? Even more so if they're snakeheads."

"I know."

"So you're just going to ask them to lay down in the MRI so that we can confirm that they're hosting some illegal aliens."

She smiled. "No. We're going to stop by Area 51 and grab all of Machello's PTD's. Then we're going to go goa'uld hunting. I'm thinking to start with the Joint Chiefs first simply because they are the most likely to know how far the invasion goes."

Jack sighed, cringing inwardly at the mention of Machello's little goa'uld killers. Whatever they were, they were certainly effective. And he had the first hand knowledge to prove it. But they weren't perfect. "What if they're not blended?" he asked. "We can't have them going bug nuts like Daniel did."

"You and I both have the cure in our blood - Jolinar and Ba'al's protein markers. If the psychosis proceeds at the same pace as Daniel's, we'll have a few days to treat any collateral damage," she said calmly.

Jack nodded, not quite sure how he felt about her calling people going insane 'collateral damage.' "I'm presuming that we're going to use the teltac to get from Nevada to DC?"

Sam nodded. "And the rings and the cloaks. We're going to fly to Nellis, ring down somewhere close by, or maybe land in the desert. We then use the cloaks to get into Area 51, grab all the PTD's they have and leave."

She turned her attention back to flying and Jack stared out the window, enjoying the novelty of entering the atmosphere. "I can't say that I really like your plan." He sensed her tensing, her fingers tightening on the yoke. "But it's better than the one I have," he said. "What time is it?" 

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. Nighttime," she said as they got close enough to see lights.

Using the brilliant lights of the Strip to guide them, Sam steered the craft towards the north end of Vegas. "Watch out for aircraft," he warned.

"I'm using the sensors," she replied. "But there's not much around."

"Maybe it's later than we think it is."

"Could be," she agreed. She slowly flew around the bases, finally landing the ship inside the fence but as far from the buildings as possible. "The personal cloaks will work the same way as the ship's. They bend light around us and make us invisible to the naked eye. But we can still be seen by infrared. We still have mass and can cast a shadow if the light hits it right."

"Right," he said, getting to his feet. He remembered all too well the limitations of the cloak. He'd exploited them when Sam and Teal'c had invaded Ba'al's palace seeking to rescue him from the system lord. "You do know where they keep this stuff?" he asked as they collected their gear from the cargo area.

"I know where it was two years ago," she said, fastening her vest. "Remember, I spent a week escorting the stuff from the SGC and consulting on the lab here?"

"Right," he said, remembering what she was talking about.

"I doubt they've moved it. They're big on stability around here. And as long as something's behind closed doors, no one knows it's there."

Jack picked up two zats and handed her one. This was one aspect of the mission that they'd both agreed on, their reluctance to spill innocent blood. Sam took the zat and slid it into her holster before bending down to pick up Gizmo. As he watched, she placed the kitten in a large vest pocket. "You're bringing the cat?"

"She may not stop at the sleeping bag next time," Sam said. Much to Jack's surprise the kitten settled down and didn't try to escape. She merely peeked her head out of the pocket, her green eyes watching Jack intently.

"How many PTD's are there?" he asked.

"We brought back forty," she answered. "We used one to free you and another to figure out what was wrong with Daniel. Presuming that they haven't gone gaga experimenting on them, there should be over thirty-five. If we're really lucky, all thirty-eight will be untouched."

"So we can free up to three hundred and eighty."

"In a perfect world. Chances are we'll have to waste a few on our first targets." He nodded. "The most important thing is not to touch them. They can be activated in two ways, either by moving them over the data slate or by physical contact, which is how I activated the one on the ship. We don't want them going off too early."

"Premature activation is usually a bad thing," he said, hiding a grin when she rolled her eyes.

Their preparations complete, they moved towards the door. Jack stopped her just before the threshold. "If something happens, the mission comes first."

"Colonel?"

"Our objective is to free Earth, and that objective is bigger than either one of us," he said seriously.

"Agreed."

"Ok. Let's go grab some FTD's." She glared at him. "It's better than STD's," he quipped, opening the door as he activated his cloak

"Yeah, but one sometimes leads right to the other," she said, following his disembodied voice as he sealed the door. 

Jack, paused for a second, resisting the urge to bend down and actually touch the planet of his birth. Two years. It'd been two years since he'd last breathed this air and looked into this sky. "Sir?" he heard her ask, her voice seeming to come from nowhere.

"Where are we going?" he asked, dismissing his sentimentality.

"Building C," she instructed.

He reached out, fumbling to grab her hand. "Let's not get lost," he requested.

Hand in hand, they made their way towards building C, finally separating when they reached the exterior door. "How do we get in?" he asked, his voice barely above a   
whisper.

"Even if we had keycards, I'm sure they've long since been deactivated."

"More than likely," he agreed. 

"And you can't really pick an electronic lock."

"Carter…"

"But a base's security is only as good as its least diligent person." She grabbed his sleeve and dragged him around the corner. "There," she said. Jack looked down and saw a small open window. It was tiny, just a couple of feet wide and was just inches from the dirt. 

"How the hell did you know this was here?"

"The last time we were here I heard a couple of the guards complaining about one of the scientists; really brilliant but also loud and arrogant. He'd insist on having his fresh air. The base commander tried to control him but finally had to admit that as long as the base was secure, the window was secure."

"Logical if stupid."

"Their stupidity will get us in the building," she said. "A hell of a lot faster than waiting for someone to open the door."

He heard a rustling sound and saw the sparse grass move slightly as he guessed that she laid down, positioning herself to shimmy in the window. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the window open. 

Although Groom Lake was in the middle of the desert, there were some attempts to grow grass in and around the buildings, not only for aesthetic purposes but practical as well. Grass wasn't dusty. And less dust meant less potential damage to any sensitive electronic equipment inside.

Hearing her drop down inside, Jack followed, grunting slightly as he slid through the narrow window. He landed on top of a desk, his feet slipping a bit on some papers that were lying there. More clumsily than he would have liked, he climbed off the desk, scanning the room for Sam. "Carter?"

"Here," he heard from just behind him. He watched the drawers of the desk open and close, things in it moving of their own accord. 

"What are you looking for?"

"Something faster than picking the lock," she said. "Here we go." She held up a pass card. "Keycards for the crypt can never leave the base."

"The crypt?" he asked.

"Geek humor. Third door down on the right."

"Lead the way," he invited, stepping back to -hopefully - stay out of her way. That was another weakness of the cloaks. The same technology that kept them invisible from the rest of the world also kept them invisible from each other.

He heard her footsteps move towards the door and then it opened and Jack followed her out into the hall. They made their way towards the crypt and Jack was grateful for the late hour. As near as he could determine, the building was empty, a fact that made their mission a bit easier. Especially since the keycard wasn't affected by the cloak and seemed to float in mid air. He made a note to experiment with that. Maybe if she tucked it into her pocket it'd be invisible.

She stopped outside an armored door. "The crypt?" he asked needlessly.

"The crypt," she answered. The card floated up and swept through the reader. Jack held his breath until he heard the confirming beep and saw the LED light switch from red to green.

The door opened and he followed Sam inside. The crypt wasn't as large as he'd expected, perhaps twenty feet square and the walls were lined with shelves. He slowly walked around the room, actually recognizing some of it items as things he and his team had recovered. "We brought back a lot of crap, didn't we?" he asked.

"Yep, and it looks like they've been making up for lost time too. This is twice what I remember."

"Where are the PTD's?" he asked.

"Here." A drawer marked with a large biohazard warning sign slid open and Jack moved to her side. "This is going to be easier than I thought," she said, picking up a sealed plastic box. Jack could see a PTD suspended inside, little plastic pegs securing the item and keeping it from moving around. "We should be able to transport these safely."

Jack pulled his pack off his back and started taking the devices from her, cramming them into the bag. It took them only a few minutes to gather all of Machello's devices. "They haven't experimented," she said. "We have thirty-eight."

"Makes sense," he said. "If the people calling the shots are blended the last thing they want is us figuring out how to unblend them."

"Is there anything else in here that-" She broke off as a loud alarm began to blare.   
"Crap."

"We gotta go, now," Jack said, snapping the pack shut. The two of them moved towards the door and hurried down the hall, not even trying to disguise their passage. They passed the office and Jack heard Sam stop. "To hell with the window," he said.

"Sir?"

"The door, now."

They hurried down the hall, making their way towards the main exit door. "It's probably locked."

"Even the military has to submit to fire regs," he said. He pushed the door open, wincing as another alarm added to the first one. If they didn't know where they were before, they knew now. 

They dashed across the open space, Jack forgoing any attempt to stay together. They didn't have time for that. They needed to get to the ship and the relative safety it provided. Jack heard several loud cries and the sharp retort of gunfire.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, cursing loudly at the sight of a half dozen guards running towards them. "Damnit. Move it!" Jack yelled, trying to run faster. The heavy pack slowed him down and he longed to shed its weight, but didn't dare. They needed every one of the PTD's and he couldn't afford for any of their targets to get suspicious. He could see Carter running ahead of him, the only visible cue small tufts of dirt and grass stirred up by her boots. The teltac was less than a hundred yards away. 

He heard more men join the first and more gunfire echoed over their heads. Some of it hit the ground at his feet and he zigged to the left. He heard bullets zing off the teltac's hull and he instinctively ducked, the heavy bag throwing him off balance. He fell to the ground, landing heavily and awkwardly. His knee twisted and he groaned, immediately trying to get back to his feet. He looked towards the ship and saw the door open, the interior of the teltac seeming to float above the ground. "Colonel!" he heard Sam yell.  
Jack looked behind him, then back at the teltac. The guards could see the teltac, he watched them slow and take aim at it, and by extension, her. 

"GO!" Jack yelled, not caring that he was giving away his position.

"COLONEL!"

"Damnit Carter, get the hell out of here. NOW!"

He saw some of the guards move towards him, clearly hearing his voice. Behind them another guard appeared, a missile launcher on his shoulder. Reacting in a fraction of a second, Jack ripped off his cloak, revealing himself to the guards. "Complete the mission, that's an order," he yelled, struggling to his feet, his hands in the air.

He held himself steady, really hoping that the men had a 'capture first, kill second' order. Jack glanced over his shoulder at the ship, sighing with relief when he saw the door shimmer into invisibility. In just seconds, the engines roared into life and Jack staggered against the air blast as the teltac lifted off, hopefully making a clean get away.  
  
"FREEZE!" the guards yelled, aiming their rifles at him.

"I'm frozen," he said. "I'm frozen." Jack took a breath, struggling to calm his racing heart. "So, any of you guys know the name of a good pizza place?"  


/\/\/\/\/\

  


Teal'c hesitated for one eternal second, even decades of battle experience failing him as he saw Daniel Jackson fall to the ground, his body sprawled atop Amaunet's.

He heard Sho'nac gasp and Bra'tac take a step forward as he saw the two Jaffa raise their weapons to defend - or avenge - their queen.

This was wrong. So very wrong. Daniel-

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel blinked his eyes, seeking to clear his vision. Figures swam into focus and he stared, still struggling to comprehend. "What the hell…"

He slowly walked forward, staring at the tableau before him. He saw seven figures, seemingly frozen in time. Sho'nac stood behind Bra'tac, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth. Bra'tac's left arm was raised, perhaps attempting to pull Sho'nac out of danger.  
Teal'c stood before them, his staff weapon raised while his face was painted with a mixture of shock and horror.

It was an expression mirrored on the faces of Amaunet's Jaffa, both of whom stood beside the fallen body of their mistress, their weapons raised.

Daniel knelt beside Shau'ri, staring in befuddled amazement at her lying in the dust, and at himself, sprawled atop her.

"I seek an explanation."

Daniel shot to his feet, spinning to face the source of the voice. The monk stood before him, seeming to be the only other person not affected by whatever had frozen the others in time. "Did you do this?"

"You and she seek the same goal, yet you also sought to protect her," he said calmly, ignoring Daniel's question.

"Is she dead?" Daniel asked.

"Death has no meaning. Do you seek to protect her?"

"She was my wife," Daniel answered.

"She? I sense two beings," the monk said.

"The human part, Shau'ri, was my wife," Daniel explained. He knew that it was odd to feel compelled to be honest with this person, a stranger. But, somehow, he felt that he had to. The monk was peaceful and serene looking, but there was no doubting that under that façade he possessed a power likely beyond Daniel's own imagination. Even with that, Daniel didn't fear him. Somehow he couldn't be afraid.

"And that which possesses her?"

"Amaunet. She's a goa'uld."

"You hate this Amaunet."

"No…Yes," Daniel replied.

"This creature simply sought to survive. Without a human host, it is weak and vulnerable.   
Without a host it has no voice."

"I know," Daniel said, looking down at Shau'ri. Her face was frozen, locked in an expression of fear and anger.

"Is the well-being of the goa'uld less important than that of she who is host?"

"To me it is," Daniel answered, looking up at the monk. "She took my wife from me. She took…that child could have been ours. It could have been my son," he said angrily, even as he voiced the words he acknowledged the truth of them. He was jealous. 

"You mourn the life of a child you never had?"

"He raped her!" Daniel yelled, succumbing to his anger. "When we saw her on Abydos, Shau'ri said that the goa'uld had to withdraw or she'd miscarry. Which means that the goa'uld likely had to withdraw for her to even conceive."

"And this distresses you?"

"YES! Don't you understand?"

The monk stared at him. "You hate the goa'uld."

"Yes."

"You hate Amaunet?"

"Yes."

"You would kill her if it would free your wife?"

"Yes," Daniel confessed.

"Even if it would bring harm to your wife?"

"Yes," Daniel said softly, closing his eyes in a mixture of shame and anguish.

"Yet, you sacrificed yourself to save her."

Daniel looked up. "So, she's alive?"

"Your death will not free her," the monk said, ignoring Daniel's question yet again. "It will - most likely - precipitate a confrontation that will result in the deaths of others."

Daniel sighed heavily, turning back to look at his companions. "Can you save them?"

"Your friends?"

  
"They just came here to help me. It's not their fault."

"They too seek the child."

"Not for their own gain," Daniel insisted, glancing back to his companions. "They're only here because of me."

"That is not true," the monk corrected.

Daniel frowned. "You mean because they told me about the child?" The monk merely stared at him. "They didn't do that so that we could keep him…maybe they did, but we don't want to use him. We want to protect him."

"And how shall you do that?"

"We'll find him a home, someone that can take care of him," Daniel said.

"And if he is as legend says?" the monk asked pointedly. "If he possesses all the knowledge of those who came before him."

"Just because he has knowledge doesn't mean he'll use it," Daniel said. "We can teach him. Show him how to be good."

"And your people can do this?"

"Yes."

"The same people who keep the Stargate a secret and who would murder your own friends out of fear and intolerance?"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam maneuvered the teltac into the sky, doing her best to ignore the shaking of her hands.

  
_Damnit, Carter, get the hell out of here now!_

  
She could still see him, half standing, half sprawled in the dirt, helpless as the guards ran towards him. Sacrificing himself to buy her the time to get away.

Taking the ship up to sixty thousand feet, she set the autopilot, confident that she was out of the way of commercial aircraft. She leaned back in the seat and took a shaky breath.

"Damnit," she muttered, covering her face with her hands. "Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit." She pushed her fingers through her hair. "Who the hell gave you permission to be a hero?"

She got out of the pilot's seat and started to pace. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Neither of them were supposed to get caught. Hell, if things had worked out right, they would have freed the Joint Chiefs and been on their merry way and…hell, she didn't even know how it was really supposed to be. Her planning hadn't extended quite that far. 

She'd been so distracted by the need to fix things that she hadn't thought it through.  
She could go back. She paused in her pacing and looked out the window. She could go back, land the ship in the desert and sneak in. Hell, with her cloak she could probably just walk right through the front gates. She knew her way around Area 51. She could get into the brig, grab a key and…and get caught herself.

Gizmo meowed and she looked down, pulling the kitten from her pocket and setting her down on the floor. "I don't suppose you have any idea what to do?" she asked the kitten. Gizmo looked up at her and blinked, predictably staying silent. "Of course not."

Sam sighed as Gizmo moved over to the bag, walking around it slowly as she sniffed at the heavy canvas. "How many did we get?" She picked up the bag and set it on the seat, pulling it open. Gizmo meowed a protest then set herself to batting at a dangling strap.   
"Eighteen," Sam counted. "Could have been worse. "Ok, Giz, where do we go next?" Sam set down the bag and started to pace again. "The SGC won't work. I mean, we do know that it's ground zero and the logical place to start but, even with the cloak we'd never make it all the way inside. And we'd be so outnumbered that I don't see any way to make it work. We might free a few of them but…." She sighed. "I don't see how we can round them up, ten at a time and expose them to Machello's killers."

The sun crested the horizon and spilled through the window, bathing the teltac in brilliant yellow light. "So, the SGC is out. And so is Area 51. The only other people that could possibly know what's going on is the Joint Chiefs and the White House." Gizmo jumped up onto the chair and stuck her nose into the bag. Sam picked up the bag and snapped it shut, safely locking the items away. "Curiosity and cats don't get along well, remember?"

She set the bag down in the corner and walked back to the chair, picking up Gizmo as she sat down. "I think the Joint Chiefs is a waste of time," she said. "I'm not even sure who they are anymore and…how many of them do you think we'd have to free to make the rest listen to us?" She picked the kitten up and held her so that she could look in her eyes. "And any of them that aren't goa'ulded will just go nuts.

Gizmo crinkled her nose and started to purr. "We only have one shot at this," she said. "So I think we need to aim big."

Her decision made, Sam set the kitten down and disengaged the autopilot. She steered the ship down through the atmosphere and set course, aiming towards the rising sun.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Jack shifted in the uncomfortable chair, yawning slightly as he stretched. He cautiously flexed his knee, grateful that he'd only twisted it earlier. He glanced up at the camera in the corner before he leaned back, raising his legs to prop his feet up on the table.

He was in a detention room, very reminiscent of those in the SGC. The room itself was about ten by ten and was largely unfurnished save for a plain wooden table, two bare wooden chairs and a single light fixture hanging from the ceiling.

The table was painted a dark gray that matched the walls and the floor. The only exit from the room was the door that was made of heavy steel. The opaque Plexiglas window was covered with a thick metal screen, making the room escape proof.

Every few minutes Jack could see a shadow move in front of the door and figured that there was at least one guard outside, if not two.

He didn't have a watch anymore but guessed that he'd been in the room about an hour. Which was also why he figured that he wouldn't be alone for too much longer. Going by the glimpses of a sunrise he'd seen just after his capture, he knew that it was just after dawn. Much too early for the base commander to be on hand. And the average base commander lived an hour or less away from the base.

Almost on cue, Jack heard the murmur of voices from the hall. He glanced up to see a shadow in front of the door. "Showtime," he muttered as he heard the keys rattle in the lock.

He didn't stand, instead crossing his arms over his chest, assuming a casual pose as his visitor stepped into the room. Jack grinned slightly, catching sight of the man's damp hair and a fresh nick just below his ear. Yep, someone had been dragged out of bed.

"Jack O'Neill," the man said slowly, moving to stand behind the remaining chair, a folder clutched in his hands.

"Mayberry ain't it?" Jack asked, feigning ignorance. He knew exactly who the man was. Harry Maybourne, the commanding officer of the alien tech area of Area 51. The guy who'd tried to take Teal'c with him to let the bugs eat him alive and who'd lost a Stargate.

"Jack O'Neill, criminal, rogue and renegade," he said, sitting down. "What brings you back to the planet you abandoned?"

"I was just in the neighborhood," Jack said. "Thought I'd stop in, maybe do a little sight seeing." Jack snapped his fingers. "They still have that show on the Strip with all the cats?"

"In addition to being a traitor," Maybourne continued, ignoring Jack's interruption. "You have broken about six Federal laws by breaking into this base and stealing valuable alien technology. I could have you shot right now and I'd probably get a medal."

Jack snorted. "Color me scared." The man's posturing amused him even as he acknowledged the predictability of his words. Interrogation 101. Intimidate the subject.

Maybourne made a show of flipping open the folder. "I understand you had yourself a thriving little empire," he said. "You and the rest of your team."

"Bragging is in such bad taste."

"Raiding goa'uld palaces, kidnapping SG team members-"

"We rescued their asses," Jack interrupted. 

"That's not what it says here," Maybourne said, thumping the file. "In fact, if it wasn't for the skill of one Doctor Janet Frasier, there'd be a murder charge hanging over your head."

"That's bullshit Maybourne, and you know it." Jack lowered his feet and sat upright.

"What I know is that two ex-Air Force officers, both of whom have been compromised by aliens, kidnapped a civilian and, with the assistance of a traitorous Jaffa, betrayed Earth to the Goa'uld."

Jack shook his head. "Spin any harder and your head just might snap off."

"Why'd you come back, Jack," he asked, the smarmy grin falling from his face.  
Jack stared at the man, trying to get a read on him. He could be compromised. True, there were no glowing eyes or funky voice, but hell if it hadn't have been for Cassie, they'd have never known that Sam had been taken. And, as the CO of alien tech, he was a logical target for the invasion. Control him and you controlled the whole area of the base.

Of course, there was also a good chance that he was just far enough out of the way that he'd been overlooked. Jack knew that, after the debacle of losing the Stargate,   
Maybourne had fallen out of favor with those in charge. They also had no way of knowing if the invasion had made it out of the mountain. Carter's suspicion about the invasion being wide spread was just that, a suspicion. It could go no further than the SGC and Maybourne could be just the ally Jack needed to fix it.

If he wasn't a snake.

If he'd listen to Jack.

If he wasn't just playing Jack for a fool and hoping that he'd expose any other people on the planet. Like Carter. Who was, or damn well better be, working on fulfilling her mission.

Right now he had two options. Trust Maybourne and gain an ally or trust Maybourne and expose Carter, possibly dooming both her mission and the whole planet.

Or there was a third option. Screw Maybourne and keep his trust right where it belonged. And do everything he could to help Carter. 

Jack smiled slowly. "Had a hankering for a pizza. Deep dish, bout yay thick, extra cheese." Maybourne's eyes narrowed and Jack leaned back, replacing his feet on the table. "Bonus points if you have some Guinness."

Jack stared him down, refusing to look away. Maybourne glared for a few seconds before closing the folder and getting to his feet. "Fine, we'll do it the hard way," he said, knocking on the door. The guard opened it and Maybourne stepped out, taking a second to glance back. "You're gonna wish you'd taken me up on that offer," he said as the door closed.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. "You have no idea what I wish for," he muttered. "No damn idea."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
The monk's words hung in the air, awkward and sharp.

  
_"The same people who keep the Stargate a secret and who would murder your own friends out of fear and intolerance?"_

  
Daniel stared at him, completely at a loss for words. He was right. In an instant Daniel knew that the monk was right. The boy wouldn't be safe on Earth. They'd never be able to keep him a secret, if they could even get him back to Earth. And their own planet was too undefended to be a viable option. In fact, there probably wasn't a planet out there that was safe enough for him.

"You know," he said softly, moving towards his friends. "They tried to take Teal'c once, twice really." He looked at the monk. "The first time was right after he'd defected. Some guy, Kennedy I think, showed up and wanted to take Teal'c away to be questioned. Jack told me once that General Hammond had to call in a lot of favors to keep him at the SGC."

The monk didn't respond but instead looked at Daniel, a benign smile on his face. "The second time was after Teal'c got bit by that giant bug. They actually took him that time. If Teal'c hadn't have escaped on his own, they were going to let him turn into one of those bugs so that they could study him."

"And it's not just Teal'c," Daniel continued, not letting the monk's silence put him off. "Right after Sam got Jolinar, they tried to get her transferred too. And that's why Jack wanted to leave Earth last year. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder." He sighed. "And that's even presuming that we can get him home. If we don't, where can we go with him? Everyone will want him."

"That is a fate most would not enjoy," the monk said, finally breaking his silence.

"The child isn't normal, is he?" Daniel moved away from Teal'c and back towards the monk. "He is a harcesis."

"There is a reason that such children are forbidden," the monk said. The world flashed and Daniel blinked, realizing that they had moved and were now inside the temple.   
Daniel glanced around, his eyes settling on a large, high cradle. He moved over towards it, an unconscious smile crossing his face as he saw the boy. The infant was swaddled in what looked like rich orange velvet, one pudgy fist waving in the air. Daniel picked him up, staring in amazement as his mind sought to see his wife's features in the boy. "He's beautiful," Daniel said, looking up at the monk.

"A pleasing visage can conceal an evil heart."

"Is that what he is?" Daniel asked.

"That is one of many possible futures."

"It's what will happen to him if we take him, isn't it?" Daniel asked, knowing the answer.   
"We can't take him back to Earth, and even if we did, he wouldn't be safe. And once the other goa'uld realize that he exists, they'll all want him, they'll want to control what he can be."

"As will your people."

"But you can protect him?" Daniel asked.

"We do not covet his potential."

"You don't need his power, you have enough of your own," Daniel said. "You can take care of him, protect him." Daniel looked down at the infant. "He'll be safe with you."  
He closed his eyes for a second and sighed before opening them and looking up at the monk. "He needs to stay with you."

In an instant, the world flashed white again and Daniel stumbled, his equilibrium thrown off by the assault on his vision he stumbled and fell, only belatedly realizing that, as he curled himself into a ball to protect the child, the child was gone. 

"--Jackson!" Hands pulled at him, dragging him to his feet. He staggered, blinking to clear his vision even as he struggled, not quite sure who was touching him. "Daniel Jackson."

"Teal'c?" he gasped, recognizing the voice.

"It is I," he heard and he relaxed. Realizing that he was safe with his friends, he blinked, struggling to clear his vision.

"I do not understand," Sho'nac said. "Were we not just on Kheb?"

"We were," Bra'tac said. "Not even the goa'uld are capable of such magic."

Daniel squinted and opened his eyes, scanning their surroundings. "We're home?" he said, recognizing Springfield.

"Indeed we are," Teal'c confirmed, his hand steadying Daniel.

"And you are not dead." 

Daniel gaped at Sho'nac. "Dead?"

"Your wound was most grievous," Bra'tac confirmed.

A vague memory tickling at the back of his brain, Daniel pulled off his jacket, staring in befuddlement at the large hole in the fabric. "That looks grievous," he muttered, his hand twisting around to feel his back. His fingers encountered only smooth, healthy skin.

"Where is the child?" Sho'nac asked. "We must go back."

Daniel slowly shook his head. "No. It won't do any good."

"But we must keep Amaunet from him," she protested.

"She is," Daniel said, smiling his thanks at Teal'c before he moved away, standing on his own. "She'll never get her hands on him."

"You do not know-"

"I know!" Daniel interrupted. "I know," he said softer. "I know." Abandoning his Jaffa companions, Daniel slowly walked toward their cabin, visible just a few hundred yards away, desperately hoping that he actually made it to his own bed before the desire to take a nap overwhelmed him.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"I do not understand," Sho'nac said, looking at Teal'c.

"Daniel Jackson is likely fatigued," Teal'c said, shooting a concerned glance after his friend.

Sho'nac shook her head. "We were just on Kheb. How did we get here?" She gestured at their surroundings.

"The magic of the gods," Bra'tac answered.

"The being we encountered was no god," Teal'c corrected.

"How do you explain this?" Bra'tac demanded.

"I do not deny that the aliens possess great power," Teal'c conceded. "Yet I do not believe that they are gods."

"If they are not, then how do you explain our transportation here?" Sho'nac asked.

"I have seen many wonders in my time amongst the Tau'ri, not all of them can be explained."

"Such as your friend rising from the dead without a sarcophagus?" Sho'nac asked.

"Such as that," Teal'c said.

"Believe what you wish, Teal'c," Bra'tac said. "Today I have seen the powers of a being that makes the goa'uld look like petulant children." He looked at Teal'c, belief and wonderment shining in his eyes. "I do not know what has transpired, but I do know that it comes from a power that is beyond our ken."

"I---" Sho'nac gasped, her face contorting in a mask of pain as her knees buckled.

Teal'c reached for her, wrapping his arms around her. "Her primta," Bra'tac said, moving to help Teal'c support Sho'nac.

"No," Teal'c said, voicing the denial even as he knew it was in vain.

"Yes," Sho'nac said, looking up at him. "Forgive me, my love." She clutched at her belly. "I should not have waited so long, for this symbiote will wait no longer."

Teal'c watched as her dress bulged horrifically as the symbiote burrowed out of her womb. It pushed through the fabric and emerged into the world. It flopped out onto the ground and Bra'tac snatched it up, struggling to hold onto the squirming creature.  
"Kill it," Sho'nac said.

"No," Teal'c protested, horror at her words clutching at his gut. No, she couldn't kill it. Without she would-

"Do not permit it to take a host. Please, kill the evil I have nurtured," she begged.

Bra'tac looked at him, waiting until Teal'c nodded before he grasped the symbiote in both hands, breaking its spine. He dropped the creature onto the ground and crushed it under his boot. "It is done," he declared.

Sho'nac smiled, contentment erasing the pain. She rested her head against Teal'c's chest, twining her arm around his neck. "I shall die free," she said.

Teal'c tightened his arms around her, cursing his own weakness. He did not want to lose her. Not after just being granted the miracle of her in his life.

"Come my friend," Bra'tac said. "She shall be more comfortable out of the sun."

Teal'c nodded, sweeping Sho'nac up in his arms, savoring the last few hours that he would have with his love.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam stood on the small landing and chuckled softly, enjoying her bemusement at her situation. She looked off into the distance, watching as the guards at the front gate checked the ID of a driver. "They are pretty thorough, Giz," she said softly, absently petting the kitten nestled in the pocket of her vest.

The guards checked the ID of every person that entered the grounds of the White House, every person that they could see, that is. It had been very easy for her and Gizmo to simply walk past the guardhouse and up the sweeping drive. Just as it had been easy for them to navigate the dark streets of the city after parking the teltac in a remote park.  
  
Her eyes drifted across the open lawn and twenty foot tall fence ringing the compound as she waited for the car to navigate the drive. "I don't have all night," she breathed, tapping her foot impatiently.

This was the one most noticeable weakness of the cloak. Unless she wanted to start drawing attention to herself with mysteriously opening doors, she was subject to the whims of those around her.

Finally the car parked under the portico and the main door opened as two Marines in Class A's stepped outside to man their posts. Sam moved quickly to take advantage of the situation. She hurriedly stepped through the open door, hoping that they'd just think that she was a draft.

Thankful for her soft-soled shoes, she crossed the marble floor and ducked under the velveteen rope that funneled all visitors through the metal detector.

She'd only been in this building once before - back in her Pentagon days - but she vaguely remembered the floor plan. Unfortunately, 'this is where the President sleeps' hadn't been included in her tour.

She did know that the residence was upstairs so she made her way to the nearest staircase and slowly climbed the carpet covered treads. Once she was on the second floor, she walked around, searching for some sign of which was the President's bedroom.

This was where her plan kinda hit a snag. Originally, she'd though about confronting him during the day, perhaps even in the Oval Office, but that had changed the instant the colonel had been captured. It wouldn't take his captors long to figure out that there were two of them and she suspected that it was just a matter of time before security was tightened.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and she moved to one side of the hall, trying to stay out of the way of the group.

Three men in Air Force uniforms walked down the hall. Sam figured that they were the ones driving the car. A man that could only be a Secret Service agent appeared, seeming to melt out of the woodwork.

"We're here to see the President," the lead visitor - a major - said.

"He's not to be disturbed," the Secret Service agent said, standing protectively in the middle of the hall.

"This is important," the major insisted.

"It's always important."

"There's been an unplanned visitor in Nevada," the major said. "I need to tell the President, I need to tell him now and I need to tell him in person."

The Secret Service agent glanced at them, seeming to judge whether or not the man's words were honest before relenting. "If you will go and wait in the Green room, I will inform the President."

The major nodded and the three men turned, walking down a side hall. Sam ignored them and turned her attention towards the Secret Service agent. She fell into step about ten feet behind him as he walked in the other direction, presumably going to tell the President that he had visitors.

He walked down the hall and stopped before a heavy oak door. He knocked perfunctorily and opened the door, fortunately leaving it open behind him. Sam slipped in and stopped just inside the door, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dimness.

"Sir," the agent said. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir. But there are some gentlemen here to see you."

The lamp beside the bed snapped on and Sam watched as the President propped himself up. "What is it, Malcolm?" he asked, his voice gravely from sleep.

"Something's happened in Nevada," he said. "Major Davis is here to brief you."  
President Hayes - presuming this was the same man Reynolds had told them about - groaned softly and pushed the covers back, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. 

"Why the hell can't this stuff happen during the day," he said.

"I don't know, sir. What would you like me to tell him?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir."

The agent left the room, closing the door behind him. Sam watched as Hayes stood up, idly scratching his belly as he reached for his robe. Knowing that this was likely the only time she'd have, Sam reached into her vest and pulled out a bulky plastic box containing a PTD.

She opened the case and moved closer to her target. She knew that the creatures wouldn't hurt her, not really. Thanks to Jolinar, she could tolerate the creatures entering her and suffer nothing more than a bout of nausea and maybe a headache. But, while they wouldn't necessarily harm her, her goal was to get at least one of them into the President. And in order to do that, she had to be close. 

Unfortunately, Gizmo chose that moment to meow, expressing her desire to be put down. Hayes spun, his eyes darting around the room. "Who's there?" he asked. Getting no response, he edged towards the bedside table and opened a drawer. Sam's stomach dropped when he pulled out a ribbon device, sliding the alien weapon onto his hand. 

Knowing that she had just seconds before he was armed, she darted forward, tackling the man. He cried out as he landed awkwardly on the rumpled bed. Gizmo howled as she was jostled and Sam ignored her, grabbing the PTD and desperately holding it over Hayes' chest. She saw two of the goa'uld killers drop onto his t-shirt clad chest before the door flew open. 

A heavy force struck her side and Sam rolled off the bed and onto the floor, the cloak dislodging itself as she fell. The Secret Service agent, Malcolm, tried to hold her down even as he tried to call for help.

Sam knocked the radio from his hand and ducked a punch as she raised her leg, attempting to dislodge him. He rolled off her and she scrambled to her feet, her arms raised defensively.

Hayes cried out and fell to his knees, his hands clutching his head. Sam could only hope that it meant that Machello's killers were now inside him. Aware that she needed to buy some time, she turned her attention back to Malcolm. She had to keep him from calling for help. He lunged at her and she sidestepped it, reaching out to trip the man. He landed hard, crashing heavily into an antique chair. 

She tried to get some distance from him, fumbling blindly for her cloak. Being invisible did give her a huge advantage, one that she'd need soon. She heard voices out in the hall and knew that Malcolm's call for help had not gone unheeded.

She tried to activate the cloak one more time cursing as she heard voices in the hall. She dashed towards the window, hoping that maybe she could escape that way. Something clutched at her foot and she fell, barely rolling to keep from smashing her face into the carpet. She rolled to her back and froze, slowly raising her hands in response to the half dozen gun barrels aimed directly at her head.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel stood in the doorway, the fingers of one hand drumming lightly against the jam. He hesitated before stepping in, not sure if he would be truly welcome or not. Teal'c looked up and met his gaze, welcoming him in.

"How aah, how is she?" he asked, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Sho'nac.

"She is suffering from the lack of her primta," Teal'c said. Sho'nac's head tossed fitfully on the pillow and Daniel could see the signs of fever marring her features. Her cheeks were flushed and her skin was damp with perspiration.

"I'm sorry, Teal'c," Daniel said sincerely. Teal'c nodded. "You know, I remember that temple Sam and I found on Chulak and-"

"No," Teal'c interrupted. He looked over at Daniel. "I know of what you speak and I cannot ask that."

"You're not asking. Bra'tac and I-"

"Would be killed," Bra'tac said. "Once you and Captain Carter defiled the temple, the   
primtas were moved to a more secure location. Do you not think, Doctor Jackson, if I knew of a way to secure a primta for Sho'nac, I would not be doing so?"

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, cringing at his lack of ability to handle Jaffa machismo.

"Do not apologize," Bra'tac said. "It is a sign of weakness."

Teal'c looked at the two of them and Daniel winced. "Right. Ok. I'm gonna go now and …umm…do…something." He edged towards the door.

"And I require a person of strength to assist me," Bra'tac said, ignoring Daniel's waffling as he swept a zat out from behind his cape. He fired it in one smooth movement and Teal'c collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain.

"What the HELL are you doing?" Daniel demanded.

"Insuring a future," he said, disarming the zat and returning it to its holster. "One that I hope you will assist me with." 

He knelt beside Sho'nac's bed and unfastened the breastplate of his armor. His hand burrowed inside his clothes and Daniel's heart lurched, realizing the man's intent.   
"Bra'tac-"

"Do not attempt to stop me. This is my right," he said, withdrawing his own symbiote from its pouch. He pulled the blanket back and grabbed the torn edge of Sho'nac's dress, ripping the opening wider. He pushed the primta into her womb, slumping slightly as the goa'uld slithered in, vanishing into Sho'nac's body.

"Why?" Daniel asked, aware of the magnitude of the sacrifice he had just witnessed.  
Bra'tac looked up at him. "I am one hundred and thirty-seven years old. I have lived and loved for…longer than you ever will." He looked back down at Sho'nac, reaching out to touch her face. "I have lived enough, and they have not loved enough."

"Teal'c--"

"Deserves happiness in his life." He got to his feet, struggling to keep his balance. Daniel reached out to help. "I ask your assistance."

"We can go into my room. You can lie down and-"

Bra'tac shook his head. "I will not die here. I wish you to assist me in getting to the chappai."

"Bra'tac-"

"I am returning to Kheb," he interrupted. "And I wish your assistance."

Daniel nodded, surrendering to the iron will of the Jaffa master. "It would be my honor," he said, following his instincts.

"Thank you," Bra'tac said, taking one last glance at the pair of unconscious lovers. He and Daniel left the room, slowly making their way out of the cabin and towards the Stargate.

It was a beautiful autumn day outside. The sun was warm and the air was crisp as it stirred the colorful leaves. Daniel walked beside Bra'tac and both of them of them disturbed piles of leaves as they walked.

Bra'tac remained silent and Daniel followed suit, unable to come up with any small talk that didn't seem trite and silly. Finally they arrived at the Stargate and Daniel paused, turning to look at the man. Bra'tac stepped forward and punched the glyphs, dialing up Kheb. "Do you want me to go with you?" Daniel offered.

During the short walk Daniel had noticed the man's strength begin to fade as his steps grew more and more slow and unsure. Daniel remembered seeing Teal'c in the same condition back on Chulak when he'd given his own symbiote to Ry'ac. He knew that the man's strength and vitality was fading, vanishing as his body suffered the loss of its immune system.

Bra'tac shook his head. "This is a journey I must make on my own," he said. He handed the zat to Daniel. "You may need this when Teal'c awakens." 

Daniel took the zat and shoved it into his waist band. "Yeah, he's gonna be a little pissed."

"His anger will fade, once he looks into her eyes," Bra'tac said, smiling slightly.

"I hope so," Daniel said, not sharing the man's confidence in Sho'nac's powers. He'd feel a hell of a lot better if Jack was here. Even if Teal'c wouldn't listen to Daniel, he would listen to Jack. Either that or would respect Jack's rank enough to pretend to listen.

"Teal'c chose well when he chose you for his companion," Bra'tac said, holding out his hand. 

Daniel took it, clasping it tightly. He glanced over to the shimmering surface of the Stargate. "Are you sure about this?" Daniel asked, loathe to just let the dying man go off to an abandoned planet. Especially an abandoned planet they'd pretty much been evicted from just hours before.

"I have never been more sure of anything in all of my one hundred and thirty-seven years," Bra'tac said, smiling peacefully.

"Good luck," Daniel said.

Bra'tac nodded and slowly climbed the steps up to the Stargate. He walked through without looking back and the gate snapped shut, silence rushing in to fill the void. Daniel stood there for a few minutes, the sun on his face warding away the chill of the breeze. 

Finally, he turned on his heel and slowly made the trek back to the cabin, his elation at Sho'nac's survival tempered by the sacrifice that brought it to be.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Special Agent Malcolm Barrett watched as Agent Kelso pulled the intruder to her feet. He pushed her down into a chair and seemed intimidated by her glare even though her bound hands rendered her relatively harmless.

"Go outside and secure the room," Malcolm ordered.

"Sir?" Kelso looked over at him, glancing at the chaos of the room. President Hayes lay unconscious on the floor as did four of the Secret Service agents who'd rushed to his aid. Only Malcolm, Kelso and the intruder were conscious even if they were all a bit roughed up and bruised.

"Go outside. We are not to be disturbed and no one is to know that anything is wrong."

"Sir, protocol demands-"

"Your protocol is outdated. Go outside and secure the door or I'm going to tie you up and lock you in the closet," Malcolm threatened, his fingers lingering over the butt of his gun.  
Kelso gulped and nodded. He retreated, leaving Malcolm alone with the woman. "Care to tell me what the hell is going on?" he demanded, standing in front of the woman.

She merely glared at him, her lips stubbornly pressed together. Malcolm sighed as he studied her. She wore a US issued TAC vest and combat boots, although he knew those items could be obtained at a surplus store. The rest of her clothing gave him little clue to her origin. 

Her pants were made of a coarse, hand-woven canvas type fabric and seemed to have no zipper or pockets, only ties and buttons. Her shirt looked hand woven and also had only ties. 

It certainly wasn't unknown for an assassin to wear generic clothing to disguise his or her origin, but homespun and homemade was not generic. "What did you do to him?"   
Malcolm asked, moving closer to President Hayes. "Hell, what did you do to all of them? You never even laid a hand on Griggs and Keller."

She settled back in the chair, her efforts to make herself comfortable thwarted by her bound hands. "Is this a biological attack?" He shook his head. "No, if it was, I'd be affected."

Something caught his eyes and he bent over, picking up a palm-sized stone from the rumpled bedding. He turned it over in his hand, frowning at its familiarity. In an instant, the puzzle pieces fell into place and he spun, looking at his captive with fresh eyes. Middle thirties, blonde, military background. "You're Carter, aren't you?" he asked.  
Her eyes darted towards him, then away as she tried to cover up her mistake. "You look pretty good for a corpse," he said, trying to provoke a response. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, moving closer to her and holding the stone out in front of her. "You do realize that Kelso won't keep his mouth shut forever. I figure we have a half hour tops before word gets out. We might have had more time if it wasn't for some men from Area 51 that need to talk to Hayes. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that they're here to report your little acquisition of these things." He paused for a second. "I can protect you," he offered. She finally looked at him, her gaze skeptical and full of disbelief. "I'm not like them," Malcolm said. "Just the fact that I'm conscious should be proof enough of that."

"All it proves is that you don't have a goa'uld killer in you," she said, finally breaking her silence.

"And if I said I did, you wouldn't believe me." He dragged a wooden chair over and sat down, straddling it. He leaned forward, balancing his arm on the back of the chair. "The invasion started about six months ago," he said, knowing that he'd need to earn her trust if the two of them were going to survive the next few hours.

"The details are a bit sketchy. It seems that the first thing they did was to purge all the records of that mission. As near as we can figure, all four members of the team came back carrying a goa'uld."

"The medical exam-"

"Isn't fool proof," he interrupted, grateful that she'd given up the silent act. "We think that the symbiotes hid, probably in the chest cavity until the men cleared medical. Anyway, we think that over the next few months the team pretended to go on normal missions, but once they were through the gate, they detoured to P3X888 and harvested more symbiotes. They then used these to infect more and more teams."

"The MRI's-"

"Are only as accurate as the tech running them. It was a bloodless coup. It took them about two weeks to get to Landry. Another week after that to start on the Joint Chiefs."

"There's no way they compromised all of the SGC. That's over five hundred people."

"More like two-fifty now. And it's easier than you think when the whole of the command staff is in on it."

"If you know what's wrong, why aren't you doing anything about it?" she asked. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Special Agent Malcolm Barrett, NID," he introduced.

Anger flared in her eyes. "NID?" 

"Don't tar us all with the same brush, Major," he warned. "Our paranoia is why you're still breathing. Do you have any idea how many people have 'disappeared' in the past couple of months?" he asked. "As to why we haven't done anything," he shrugged. "There's only so much you can do when your whole chain of command has been compromised. Not to mention the utter chaos that would ensue if the general public even suspected the invasion."

"So you just let the goa'uld run rampant?"

"You do your best to control the invasion, while also trying not to have them suspect you while you figure out how in the hell to get the aliens out of the heads of your leaders without killing them," he said.

She nodded toward the item in his hand. "You're holding the solution."

"A solution that, until fifteen minutes ago, we thought was destroyed." His smile faded. "Do you have some more of these things?" She studied him, seeming to measure him up. "Look, Carter, we're gonna have to have a little trust here. You - I'm guessing - have the means to stop this invasion. But unless you want to waste your little goa'uld killers guessing who's been compromised, you need me."

"I need the NID?"

Malcolm smiled. "You need what I know. We haven't just been sitting back and watching this invasion happen, we've been taking notes and keeping track. We figure that we know at least ninety percent of the victims. And those that we don't know, we can probably find out from those that we free." He leaned forward and again held the stone in front of her face. "Your tool, my list. Help me, let me help you, and this invasion is over in a matter of days."

He heard a moaning noise and looked over to see President Hayes stirring. Giving into his need to do his duty, he got up from the chair and moved over to the man, kneeling beside him. "What's happening?"

"What's supposed to," she said, struggling to push herself up from the upholstered chair. 

"I don't understand."

"Wait for it," she said. Malcolm heard a sound and looked down, grimacing in horror as something slid out of the President's ear, landing on the thick carpet with a small plop followed swiftly by another.

"What the hell?"

"The goa'uld is dead," she said, getting to her feet and walking over towards him.

"How do you know?"

"That's what it does. It kills the goa'uld and then dies." She glanced at the four agents who were also beginning to stir. "The same thing will happen to them. Each PTD contains ten killers. It's possible that each person will get more than one, I didn't get any this time so if the President got two the other eight should be in them."

"Seven," he said, standing up and reaching into his pocket to pull out a pocketknife. He spun her around and cut the flex cuffs, freeing her arms.

"What?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Hayes has two, Griggs three, Keller two, Matthews and Nelson one each," he listed.

"That's only nine. You must have missed one, they move incredibly fast," she said, rubbing her wrists.

"Tell me about it," he said, grimacing slightly as he slid the knife back into his pocket. She gaped at him. "Yeah, number ten. Right here." He tapped the side of his head. "Which is another reason we don't have a lot of time to dick around. I'd kinda like to stop this invasion before I start to drool and wet myself."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sho'nac opened her eyes, staring in puzzlement at the ceiling. She felt something stir within her and she moved her hand, laying it protectively over her belly. A primta. She again carried a primta.

Curiosity drove her to sit up and warred with her relief at still being alive. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Daniel Jackson slowly walk into the room. "Sho'nac, you're awake."

"Yes, I-" She broke off her words, catching sight of Teal'c sprawled on the floor. "NO!" she cried out, slipping off the bed to throw herself to her knees beside him.

"He's okay," Daniel Jackson reassured her, moving closer. "He's just been, aah…" He held up the zatnikatel. "He's gonna be fine."

"Then…" Sho'nac rolled Teal'c to his back and laid her hand on his belly, confirming that he too still possessed his primta. She looked up at Daniel Jackson, a feeling of horror washing over her. "Doctor Jackson-"

"It was his choice," he interrupted. "He zatted Teal'c then…" His voice trailed off. "It was his choice," he repeated, shrugging helplessly.

Sho'nac wrapped her arms around her middle, cradling Bra'tac's final gift as well as she could. "Where is he?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Sho'nac?" Teal'c's groggy voice preempted Daniel Jackson's reply. She turned towards her love as he reached out towards her. "What has transpired?" He looked towards Daniel Jackson.

"Kheb," Daniel Jackson answered, turning his gaze from Teal'c to her. "Bra'tac went to Kheb."

Sho'nac gasped. "NO!" Teal'c cried, struggling to his feet. He pushed his way out of the room and Daniel Jackson followed him.

Sho'nac hurried after them as both men left the cabin. "It's what he wanted!" Daniel Jackson yelled after Teal'c. Teal'c did not turn back but kept stalking towards the chappai. "Teal'c, he made his choice." Daniel Jackson broke into a run, catching up to Teal'c and grabbing his arm. "What are you going to do?" he demanded.

"RELEASE ME!"

"Not until you tell me where you're going." Sho'nac walked closer, joining the two arguing men.

"I shall return Bra'tac here."

"To watch him die?"

"He gave his primta to Sho'nac, I shall give him mine."

"And then what? Teal'c, don't you understand? Bra'tac did what he did because he wants you to be happy."

"How can I be happy when he is gone?"

Sho'nac gasped, Teal'c's words driving like a knife through her heart. She turned to leave, stopping when Daniel Jackson's hand caught her arm, pulling her back. "He did it for you, for both of you. He did it because you have a future, a whole lifetime together. He did it because there is more to life than prayers to a false god and because you're the best hope the Jaffa have to be free. He did it because winning the battle is meaningless if you celebrate it alone."

He paused, looking both of them in the eye. "He did it for love. Because he loved both of you and because you love each other. He gave you a priceless gift. Don't waste it." He released both of them and stepped back. "I'm gonna…go back to the cabin," he said. "See what I can scare up for dinner." He looked uncomfortable after his passionate words.

Sho'nac watched him walk towards the cabin then the turned her attention back to Teal'c. He stood in the clearing, his back ramrod straight and his hands clenched at his side.  
"I did not ask him for this boon," she said, Teal'c's mood prompting her to defend herself. "I never even asked him to help me procure a primta once Amaunet said no," she continued.

"Of that I am aware," he finally said, his voice low and flat.

"Teal'c, I-"

"Allow me to mourn the passing of one who was as a father to me," he interrupted.

"To me as well," she said. "May I mourn him with you?" She reached out and pulled him close, relieved when he did not push her away. She wrapped him in her arms and soon felt the warm splash of his tears on her shoulder. They soon matched her own and they clung to each other united in grief just as they were united in love.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
The truck bounced harshly and Jack grimaced as he nearly fell off the bench, his movements hampered by the wrist and ankle shackles he was wearing.

"I don't suppose there's a chance of us hitting a drive thru?" he asked, not expecting a response from the two guards sitting across from him. Neither Heckle or Jeckle had spoken more than a handful of words since they'd rousted him out of the detention cell earlier in the day. 

He really had no idea what time it was although the growling of his stomach suggested that it had to be early afternoon. Sometime after Maybourne left him earlier in the day the two goons had come in and chained him up, leading him out into a van for a short drive that led to an air strip and a plane ride.

They'd kept the blinds down during the flight and put a hood over his head before letting him step off the plane, so he really had no idea where he was. Guessing on the length of the flight, he didn't think that he was any further east than Texas and probably still in the US, but beyond that he couldn't even guess. Hell, for all he knew, they coulda flown in circles and landed back at Nellis.

Wherever he was, he was on his own. Until they'd gotten on the plane, he'd harbored the fantasy that Carter could still come after him. He was well and truthfully on his own.  
In one way, it was depressing, but in another it was liberating. He only had to worry about himself now.

The truck jolted to a halt and Jack looked up, the expectant look on Heckle and Jeckle's blocky faces confirming that whatever their destination was, they were there. The engine turned off and Heckle leaned forward, grabbing the chain securing Jack's wrists. Jeckle opened the door and stood outside, his hand lingering pointedly on his sidearm.

Jack chose not to struggle and meekly let Heckle lead him out of the truck, jumping awkwardly off the high tail gate.

Jeckle came forward with the dreaded hood and Jack sighed, allowing the man to place it over his head. They led him forward and Jack tried to keep calm, doing his best to deny the natural anxiety of being in an unknown place and blind to boot. The shackles around his ankles forced him into a shuffling walk. 

He struggled to hear and smell, seeking a clue to his location. The air felt cool on his hands, but it was a damp coolness. And it felt familiar to him in a way.

Although his hearing was muffled, he could hear the sound of the chain dragging across either concrete or asphalt. It was a smooth paved surface and wasn't gravel. They led Jack up a step and he thought through a large doorway, probably inside. The background noise of trucks and engines faded and the feel of the air changed. It was cooler but drier. That and the sound of the chains changing told Jack that he was now inside. The chain no longer dragged over rough concrete but smooth tile.

He was led down a hall that sounded to get narrower. Jack could hear other people in the hall, but all of their voices faded as soon as they seemed to see him, as normal conversations suddenly stopped or changed to harsh whispers.

Jack heard his keepers navigate a guard station, the rustle of presented papers audible even through the hood. He was bustled into an elevator and Jack listened, his confidence in his location growing by the second.

It was confirmed when he was led out of one elevator then seemingly right back in. There was only one place that he knew of that had two separate elevators that was a couple of hours flight from Nellis. He was at the SGC.

The elevator stopped and Jack was pulled forward. In one way, Jack was happy that they were at the SGC. He was, in effect, on home ground. Even though it had been almost two years, he doubted too much of the SGC had changed. So, if he could just get free, he could probably lead them on a merry chase even lacking current codes and passwords. 

On the other hand, if Carter's fear was right, he was probably surrounded by snake heads. They weren't taking him to the detention level, they were too deep for that. And it didn't smell like the commissary, neither did it sound like Level Twenty-One and the infirmary.

His money was on it being the general's office. They led him through another doorway and Jack grinned as he heard the rattle of the chains change from the smooth scrape of tile to the muted drag of industrial carpet.

Heckle, or maybe it was Jeckle, jerked him to a stop. The hood was unceremoniously yanked off his head and Jack blinked, the normal room light uncomfortably bright after the total darkness of the hood. "There's no place like home," he muttered as the blurry confines of the briefing room swam into view. Heckle pulled on Jack's chain causing him to stumble forward and nearly lose his balance.

"Enough," Landry said, walking out of his office. "That's no way to treat our guest."

"Yes, sir," Heckle answered, snapping to attention. 

"Hello, Jack," Landry said, smiling welcomingly. He motioned with his hand. "Take those shackles off."

Heckle hurried to follow Landry's orders. "Nice little armed camp you have here," Jack said, noting the two armed guards at each door.

"You can never be too careful," Landry said. "Leave the cuffs on," he said just as Heckle reached for Jack's wrists. The man stepped back, placing the small ring of keys back in his pocket.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, losing his patience with the banter. He knew Hank, or who Hank used to be. And he knew what the guy was going through. And the very thought made him sick.

"We don't really have names, at least not as far as your primitive language can understand," he answered.

"Squeaks and whistles?" Jack asked.

"Why did you come back?" Landry asked, ignoring Jack's barb.

"I tried to tell them, I was just looking for a good pizza place."

"At Area 51?"

"Is that where I was?"

"Do NOT waste my time with such trivialities!" Landry said angrily. He held out his hand and Jeckle handed him a familiar little box. "You came here to kill us," he said, his eyes glowing.

"You came here to enslave us," Jack shot back.

Landry's eyes narrowed. "Where is your partner?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"What partner?"

"That idiot Maybourne may have tried to cover it up, but I know that you have a compatriot. Who is it and where are they?"

"That snake in your head has addled your brain," Jack said. "I'm here alone and even if I was with someone I sure as hell wouldn't tell you."

Landry smiled. "How did I know that you were going to be difficult?" He stepped back and motioned at Heckle and Jeckle. "The colonel has accommodations waiting for him up on Level Sixteen." He looked at his watch. "The recovery team is due back from the homeland in approximately twelve hours. If either of you can get the information out of him before then, you will be rewarded. If not, we shall gift him with one of our brothers and take what we want."

The two men came forward and grabbed Jack's arms with bruising force. They dragged him from the room and bustled him down the hall. With his legs finally free, Jack contemplated giving the two men a run for their money, but a quick look around quashed that idea. He recognized a bare handful of the faces of the people they passed. And even in the ones he knew, he saw nothing resembling sympathy.

In fact, if he had to describe their expression, he'd call it cold-blooded anticipation. They were Goa'ulds, every damn one of them. 

Even if he broke free from Heckle and Jeckle, he'd be lucky to make it ten yards down the hall. He had to wait, and that was the hardest damn part about being a prisoner, biding your time, waiting for a better opportunity, even while you acknowledge that 'better' may never come.

Right now all he wanted to do was to run. As hard and as fast as he could. And if they got pissed off and shot him in the back, even better. The dead get to keep their secrets. And they can't get snaked either.

Jack was no dummy. He knew exactly what was going to happen once he got down to the cell. And it certainly wasn't something he was looking forward to. But he knew that it'd be something he'd have to endure.

Carter was the primary and her mission was the most important. It was his job - his duty - to do everything he could to protect her.

And if he had to die to do it, so be it.

They got on the elevator and Jack forced himself to relax. He was no match for the two guys in the brawn department. He glanced at each of them. Hell, they'd even give Teal'c a run for his money. 

If he couldn't out muscle them, he'd have to out think them. And they needed to see him as a nice little prisoner, not a very pissed off Air Force Colonel who was taking down bad guys before they'd been allowed to cross the street on their own.

They got out of the elevator and approached the holding cells and the hair on the back of Jack's neck stood on end. Nothing looked amiss but he knew that something was wrong.

With a swiftness that even Teal'c would appreciate, two figures popped around the corner, armed zats held at the ready. Unsure what to do, Jack dimply ducked, his sudden movement catching his captors off guard.

He heard near simultaneous firings of the zats and cringed, half expecting to feel the pain zing along his nerves. Instead, he heard the grunts of his guards as both of them crashed to the floor. Jack looked up, sure that he would be next. He stared as two familiar faces peered out. Siler and Reynolds hurried forward. Reynolds checked on Heckle and Jeckle while Siler helped Jack to his feet. "Welcome back, sir," Siler said, catching the small ring of keys that Reynolds removed from Heckle's pocket.

"Still going with the grey, I see," Jack said, holding his arms out to let Siler unlock the cuffs.

"The gold would have blown their cover," Reynolds said, divesting Jack's captors of their weapons. He handed Jack one of the sidearms. "We need to get you out of here."

"I'll take care of them," Siler said.

Reynolds nodded. "Watch your ass. And don't forget the tapes." Reynolds motioned towards Jack and he followed him down the hall, leaving the fallen men behind.

"The escape hatch?" Jack asked, remembering one of the ways of 'sneaking' out of the base.

Reynolds shook his head. "They locked it down last month." He led Jack out of the main corridor and down a narrow back hall. "We need a path less traveled," he said by way of explanation.

Jack grabbed the man's arm and stopped in the middle of the hall. "No offense, but why the hell should I trust you?" he asked. "If my guess is right, everyone in this mountain has a snake in their head."

"Most do," Reynolds answered. "But our little friends have a weakness. Only about half of the implantations work. Most of those that it doesn't work on, die."

"And you?"

"Some survive," he said coldly, the look in his eyes telling Jack that he was telling the truth. "And if the experience doesn't totally drive them nuts and they keep their wits about them, they can fake it. Siler, me and about three others survived, if you can call it that."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jack said, calling on Ba'al's knowledge. "Humans are the perfect host. And the blending has more like a ninety-nine percent success rate."

Reynolds shrugged. "All I know is that the snake they stuck in me died. And the one reason that they moved from the SGC to the Pentagon and the JCS wasn't to take over the world, it was to cover up the death toll." He glared at Jack. "Now if you want, I can take you back to your cell and you can see if your friends are awake and they can pick up where they left off or we can get the hell out of here," he challenged.

Jack sighed softly, acknowledging that he really had no other choice. He had no way to know for sure if Reynolds was compromised or not, so all he had to go on was his gut. And the fact that the man had just broken him out of jail. "Lead the way," Jack said.

Reynolds nodded and Jack fell into step behind him as the colonel led him down dark hallways that Jack barely recognized. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Things were getting crowded before they expanded," Reynolds explained. "Anyone that had been implanted was discouraged from leaving. Every empty space was turned into living quarters. But then they started getting questions from NORAD and the guards at the entrance who were noticing too much traffic in and out of this place, so they built their own."

"They drilled through a mountain?"

Reynolds shook his head. "The miners that dug out this place put in ventilation shafts while they worked. Landry found one of those and they expanded it. They've got their own private entrance. It comes about half a mile from the parking lot, but when you have goa'uld enhanced strength, the walk's not much of an issue."

"Makes sense," Jack said.

"Do you have someone on the outside?" Reynolds asked.

"What?" Jack tensed, the man's question setting off alarm bells in his head. Why did he need to know? Why did he even care?

"Relax, Jack. I don't give a damn if you have someone. But I can't do more than to get you out of here. I'll get you to the escape, then you're on your own. If you really do have a friend on the outside, you might want to let them know you're still alive." He stopped and looked Jack in the eyes. "And if you're smart, you'll get the hell off this rock. Before you end up like our friends downstairs."

Jack grinned fatalistically. "If we're lucky, they're gonna be the ones getting their eviction notice. Getting out of here is fine. I can find my own way from the surface."

Reynolds nodded and led Jack to a non-decrepit metal door. "This is it."

Jack nodded. "Okay." He looked at Reynolds. "Goodbyes are so-"

He heard a sound and he broke off, staring at the door. Before he could react, the door flew open and armed men spilled out.

"Freeze, freeze, freeze, freeze, freeze!" the one in front said. Jack and Reynolds were both pushed against the wall as countless hands disarmed them and bound their hands behind their backs.

His face pressed into the concrete wall, all Jack could do was look over at Reynolds and wonder if the terror on the man's eyes was mirrored in his own.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Colonel Frank Reynolds paced, ignoring the glare from his cell mate. "You're making me tired," Jack complained, glancing up from the cell's sole bunk. He was lying on the short bunk, his feet propped on the foot rail and his hands crossed behind his head.

"This isn't right," Frank said.

"We're in a cell, that's rarely right."

Frank shook his head. "Not that. Those men. Those weren't our troops."

"The ones that tossed us in here?" He sat up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bunk. "How do you know?"

"Jack, who do you think did the training after you left? Those were not our people," Reynolds insisted.

"I agree," Jack said. He looked up at Frank. "Weapons, clothes, they were all wrong."

"Who do you think they were?"

Jack shook his head. "Dunno. Think we're in the middle of a turf war?" Frank looked at him, not getting the reference. "Rival goa'ulds."

"Why would they be rivals?"

"It's hard wired in their DNA," Jack said. "They're born competitive."

"Yeah, but what the hell do we have here worth fighting for?" They looked at each other. 

"The Stargate," they said in unison.

"Whoever controls the gate controls the whole ball game," Jack said.

"So you think that's what it is, who those soldiers were," Frank asked. "The army of some rival goa'uld?"

Jack shrugged. "As good an explanation as any."

"Okay. So what do you think they're gonna do with us?" Frank asked.

"I sincerely doubt it's gonna be a Swedish massage and a steak dinner," Jack said.

They heard noises outside the door and Jack got to his feet, his hands held ready at his side. "Showtime," Frank muttered, moving to Jack's side.

The door opened and the two men stared at the solitary figure standing at the threshold. "You know, sir, this is getting to be a habit," Sam Carter said.

"It was just the one time," Frank said, picking up on the woman's mood and relaxing.

"I was talking to him," she said, motioning towards Jack.

"I am guessing that you being here is a good thing," Jack said.

She smiled. "Yes, sir." She motioned for them to follow her. She led them out into the hall. Armed guards were stationed in regular intervals, their clothing identifying them to be the same people that had stormed the mountain.

"You gonna fill us in, or do we have to guess?" Jack asked.

"Those troops were NID-"

"NID!" The man closest to them looked over, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"They're the good guys this time," she said, nonplused by Jack's interruption. "They've actually known about the invasion for months."

"Why the hell didn't they do anything?" Frank demanded.

"The whole chain of command was compromised," she said, pausing to look at him. "They couldn't risk exposing themselves until they had a way to stop it. If they'd have acted before then, they'd have just been killed and there'd be no one to stop them," she said softly. "I'm sorry, colonel. They just couldn't move until they knew they were going to win."

The noise level in the hall abruptly increased and Carter pulled both of them to the side of the hall. "What's going on?" Jack asked.

"They're rounding up everyone. The mountain is locked down and everyone that's had contact with anyone from here is being rounded up. Including people at the Pentagon and Area 51."

"I thought the White House was in on it," Jack said.

"They were. But the President was the only one compromised there," Sam answered. "He and the JCS have been treated and should make a full recovery."

The NID troops marched down the hall, escorting a group of SGC personnel, all of which had their hands bound with zip cuffs. "What's going on with them?" Frank asked.

"They're all going to get treated," she answered, looking after the line of people.

"Treated?"

"That was one of the souvenirs we brought back," Jack said.

"Actually, they were on Earth all along," Sam corrected. Frank frowned at her. "One of Machello's toys that we recovered from his planet. Dozens of PTD's, page turning devices that are booby trapped with these little slug things that will kill a goa'uld. They were stored at Area 51. We stopped there and picked them up and that's what they're using to degoa'uld everyone."

"Lucky them," Jack said. He looked at Frank. "It's not fun."

Carter got a funny look on her face. "I'm afraid Colonel Reynolds is going to find out just how un-fun it is."

"Carter?"

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"I hate to tell both of you, but EVERYONE in the mountain has to pass Machello's test."

"Carter, I do NOT have a snake in my head," Jack said.

"What do you mean, pass the test?" Frank demanded.

"Colonel, I'm sorry, but you have to," she said to Jack. "And Colonel Reynolds, I'm sorry too but this is the only way to know for sure that we get all the goa'ulds."

"You are not going to stick those damn things in me again!" Jack said loudly.

"What kind of test is this?" Frank asked.

"Colonel, it's not as bad the second time, trust me, I know. Colonel Reynolds, you just get exposed to one of these PTD's and the slug will kill the goa'uld if you have one. It's relatively painless -"

"Painless?"

"Relatively painless," she continued, ignoring Jack's interruption. "And I'm afraid that everyone in the SGC has to be screened."

"Just do an MRI," Jack said.

"It's believed that the first goa'uld that came from P3X888 escaped detection by hiding in the chest cavity. The MRI isn't conclusive. I'm sorry, sirs, you either submit or you're going to go back into that cell." She put her hands on her hips and stood in front of both of them, the unspoken message clear.

"Fine, you want to stick one of those in me, go for it," Jack said after a few seconds. "Little problem with your plan though." He jerked his thumb at Frank. "He doesn't have a snake."

"And the side effects, I know," she said.

"Side effect?" Frank asked. "What side effect?"

She held out her arm and pulled up the sleeve, revealing a band aid. "I've already given my pint and Malcolm has his medics working on the antidote."

"Antidote?" Frank asked, swiftly losing patience with the verbal ping pong match.   
"Someone want to tell me what the HELL is going on here?" The guard closest to them tensed, his fingers tightening on his weapon.

"Do you remember when Daniel went nuts?" Frank shook his head. "Right, that was before your time. Okay, we went on a mission and discovered a room full of dead goa'uld-"

"Nine of them," Jack interrupted.

"Right, nine. It was determined that the hosts died after their snakes. A few days after that mission, Daniel started to hallucinate. At first we just thought it was stress, but it was really the side effect of a creation of Machello's."

"These little slug things," Jack said, holding up his hand, his forefinger and thumb about an inch apart.

"If you are possessed by a goa'uld, the slugs will kill it. But if you don't have a goa'uld, the slugs create a chemical imbalance in the brain and the symptoms match that of schizophrenia. That's what they thought Daniel had but it wasn't. As soon as the slug left him, he got better."

"So you're gonna put something in my head that'll make me go nuts because you don't believe that I don't have a snake?" Frank demanded.

"You won't go nuts," she promised. "Every ex-host has a protein marker in their blood. All we have to do is take the protein out of my blood and give it to you. The slug will leave and you'll be fine."

"I will?" Frank asked, suddenly unsure about the whole scheme.

"Yeah, you will," Jack said, his voice changing from challenging to reassuring. He looked at Frank. "How do you think they got Ba'al out of me?"

Carter motioned towards one of the troops. "They're taking people in in groups of ten. I can get you two in the next group."

"Okay," Frank said as Jack nodded.

"Once you're done, sir, we need your help," she said, looking at Frank.

"What can I do?"

"We need names. We need to track down every single person that's been in this mountain. And every person that they've had contact with."

"That's thousands," Frank said.

"We don't have enough PTD's for that," Jack said.

"I know," she said. "We're hoping that they confined their invasion only to valuable people. Malcolm has scientists working on replicating the slugs if we need them."

"Malcolm?" Jack asked as the NID guard joined them, apparently ready to escort them to be desnaked.

She smiled. "I'll tell you all about it once you're done," she promised.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Jack said, laying his hand on Frank's shoulder. "Let's get this over with."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel rolled over in his bunk and punched the pillow, closing his eyes for a few seconds before he sighed and sat up. He wasn't going to get any sleep. He pushed back the blanket and got to his feet, his familiarity with the cabin allowing him to navigate the way to the kitchen without turning on any lights.

Using the moonlight as a guide, he scooped out some water and filled the kettle before setting it on the stove. He turned on the heat and reached for a candle, lighting it before taking his seat at the table.

He sighed again, listening to the silence around him. That was one of the many things they'd had to get used to on this planet, not only was the night really, really dark, but it was also quiet. So quiet, in fact, that they had few secrets from each other.

Which was precisely why he thought that Sho'nac and Teal'c were finally asleep, or meditating. Thinking about his two roommates brought up Daniel's newest issue, what was he going to do now?

He hadn't minded sharing the cabin when it was the four of them. Sure, things hadn't exactly been perfect. He knew that Sam sometimes chafed at the lack of privacy and that Jack too had his issues, although it seemed to mostly be dismay at the lack of cold beer and a TV.

But now that it looked like it might be just him and Teal'c and Sho'nac, Daniel found that their living arrangements weren't going to work out so well.

He didn't mind living with Teal'c when it was the four of them, but he and Sho'nac were obviously a couple and were probably going to do the things that couples do. And Daniel was definitely going to be the third wheel.

He heard a sound and looked up, sighing to himself as he caught sigh of Sho'nac walking down the hall. "May I join you?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, getting up and pasting a smile on his face. He did his best to hide his annoyance as he pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and scooped some tea leaves into them before pouring the water over it. He returned to the table and handed one to Sho'nac. "We found it on one of our trading trips. I can't remember the name for it, but it's kinda like chamomile tea."

"I am unfamiliar with that term," she said, accepting the mug from him.

"It's a herb tea on Earth. Helps you sleep."

"Ah. We have much the same on Chulak," she answered, taking a sip of the tea.

"Where's Teal'c?"

"He has finally attained kelnoreem."

"That's good." 

"Indeed. His mind and body can benefit from the meditation." Daniel took a sip of the tea, enjoying its mellow taste even as he longed for the luxury of tea bags. "You have been very quiet since Bra'tac's departure."

"Just thinking," he said.

"Of many weighty thoughts."

"I'm worried about Jack and Sam," he said, choosing the least dangerous topic. He'd been thinking of other things too. Very unkind and uncharitable things, thoughts laced with a jealousy that he wished he didn't feel. He was glad that Sho'nac was still alive. Just as much as he resented the fact that he didn't have a 'happy ending' of his own.

"Their task seemed a most onerous and dangerous one," she said, oblivious to his dark thoughts.

"Sho'nac, what they're doing, what I hope they're doing, is tantamount to Teal'c trying to take down every single goa'uld all on his own. It's impossible."

"Little in this universe is truly impossible," she said. He glared at her. "I am sorry. I hope that your friends succeed. No planet deserves to fall to the goa'uld."

"Thank you," he said.

"Something else troubles you," she said.

Daniel shook his head, not wanting to broach the topic with her. His feelings were not her fault and they were something that he needed to deal with. "It doesn't matter," he said.

"I believe that it does."

Daniel shook his head, regretting that he ever got out of bed. "I think I'm going to-"

A mechanical beep interrupted him and Daniel's heart lurched. "What is that?" Sho'nac asked, getting to her feet.

"The proximity alert."

"The what?"

"Someone's coming through the gate," he said, hurrying back towards his room. 

Teal'c's door flew open. "Daniel Jackson-"

"I know," he said. He dashed into his room and retrieved his weapons, taking a second to slip on a pair of boots. He hurried back out into the common room. "Anything?"

"There has been no signal," Teal'c said, referring to the code one of them would send if it was a friendly coming through the gate.

"We better go find out who it is then," Daniel said, checking the charge on his weapon.

"Perhaps it is O'Neill and Major Carter returning," Sho'nac said.

Daniel shook his head. "Why didn't they use the ship?"

"And why do they not send the code," Teal'c said. "Remain here. Douse the light," he told her. "And secure the door."

Daniel handed her his zat. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

The two of them slipped outside and made their way towards the gate. Daniel was grateful that he hadn't lit more candles so that his night vision was still good. They slipped through the dry grass and made their way towards the gate.

Daniel couldn't see any signs of any invasion or attack. The night was still quiet and the only sound other than their footsteps was the chirp of the crickets. That sound reassured Daniel a bit, although not a lot since the crickets were just bugs.

The pair of them crept towards the Stargate, waiting until they were about a hundred yards away before they separated, crouching low to hide amongst the tall grass.

Daniel struggled to see something, wondering vaguely if it had been some sort of false alarm. Theoretically, it shouldn't happen. Sam had set the detector to activate only when the gate opened. Of course, just because the gate opened didn't exactly mean that anyone had come through. Maybe it was a wrong number? A misdial.

"If either of you two shoot me, I'm gonna kick your ass!" he heard. Recognizing the voice, Daniel relaxed a bit, lowering his weapon but not stepping out of cover just yet.

"O'Neill?" he heard Teal'c call out.

"Beam me up Scotty!" he said, yelling their pass code.

Daniel stood up and walked forward, joining Teal'c as they approached the gate. O'Neill stood there, his hands held loosely at his side. He raised one and snapped on a flashlight, illuminating the area. "Jack?"

"Daniel, Teal'c, it's okay."

"Where's Sam?" Daniel asked, noticing that Jack was alone.

"She's back on Earth." He smiled. "Everything's fine." He held up his other hand, revealing a GDO. "Anyone in the mood to go home?"

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Sam closed her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the sun. She heard footsteps behind her and she sighed, resigning herself to her fate. She should have expected this, if she was honest with herself, she did. In fact, she was kinda surprised that it'd taken him this long.  
She opened her eyes, refusing to look at him or to move from her seat on the bench. He sat down beside her, staying silent as he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. "This is becoming a habit," he said. 

She ignored him and turned her attention towards Gizmo. The kitten had handled the past several days well, quietly traveling with her on the teltac from the White House back to the SGC and had been her constant companion while they'd worked to contain the invasion.

Right now Gizmo was doing her best to kill a leftover leaf from last fall, batting it around between her paws and tackling it with a passionate intent. "It's kinda funky," Jack said, not put off by her silence. "It's fall back on Springfield and late spring here. You know, he was entitled to a full military funeral," Jack said, finally broaching the topic that was lurking between them.

Sam looked at the large pile of fresh dirt, anonymous except for the headstone beside it and the small metal marker at one end. "I know," she answered finally breaking her silence.

"It wouldn't have been that hard to arrange. A couple phone calls."

"I know."

"Course, we'd have had to even know that you'd brought him home." His tone changed from casual to pointed and she turned to look at him, recognizing that he'd finally gotten to the point of his conversation.

"Malcolm helped me arrange it," she answered.

"Malcolm?"

"It had to be a secret," she said. She looked back towards the grave. "I didn't want the NID getting their hands on him."

"So you got Mister NID to help you?" he asked sarcastically.

"His NID isn't the one we have to worry about," she said. "Besides, this is my mess, I need to clean it up."

He grabbed her arm. "This is not a mess, this is your father," he corrected. "This is, was, his funeral and we'd have liked to have been here for you."

She shook her head. "My father died the day I let them put Selmac in his head. He almost killed me and he was going to kill all of you if Daniel hadn't have stopped him. If anything good came from this it…" She stopped when her voice broke and looked away, getting to her feet and pulling away from him. She walked a few steps away and kept her back to him desperately wishing that she hadn't been so predictable. She heard him step up behind her and she tensed, resisting the urge to swing around and give her right hook a work out.

"Sam, he may have been your father, but he was our friend," he said softly.

She knew that he was mad at her, upset that she'd arranged to retrieve Jacob on her own and brought him down to Texas to be buried beside her mother, all without letting any of them know.

For a while, she'd contemplated asking them for help but everyone had been so busy. Things were relatively calm around the SGC. The base was technically shut down and the NID troops still had control. Malcolm, after receiving his anti-slug injection, was in temporary command, his mission to insure that every single goa'uld brought back by the retrieval team was accounted for. The colonel was helping him with that, commanding teams to track down those few stragglers. Daniel was working with the others in the base, trying to catalogue some of the items brought back by the goa'uld teams

General Landry was still in the base commander - on paper anyway - although time and a psychiatric evaluation would prove whether or not he'll keep the job.

And he wasn't the only one. Every single blended person was going to have to pass an evaluation. Sam knew that not all of them would pass. Before she'd left, she'd even heard a rumor or two of a suicide being blamed on the invasion. The six months of goa'uld occupation was going to have long standing and far reaching ramifications.

The scope of those ramifications made her issues seem all that much more trivial. Here they were, cleaning up an invasion and she was worried about bringing her father's body home. Their duties were far more important than hers.

"What are you going to do now?" he'd asked, seeming to drop the topic.

She shrugged. "It's about Gizzy's dinner time," she said, glancing over at the kitten. She had abandoned tackling the leaves and was now exploring, her short, bushy tail sticking straight up.

"After dinner," he pressed.

She shook her head slightly. "Hadn't got that far."

"You know-" His cell phone rang and he broke off, making a face as he reached for the device.

Sam stepped away, giving him some privacy as she collected Gizmo, ignoring the kitten's mews of protest as she picked her up. The animal was growing and Sam knew that her pocket riding days were coming to an end. Which was too bad. She'd enjoyed having the company the past few days.

"We need to go back to the SGC," he said, returning the phone to his pocket.

"You may."

"Sam-"

"I'm off duty," she said, not in the mood to return to the SGC. As far as the 'real world' was concerned, they were all still 'dead' and thus were pretty much confined to base. And she was sick and tired of grey painted concrete.

"Screw being off duty," he dismissed. "The Tok'ra just came through the gate. The service out here sucks so I didn't get all of it, but we need to get back."

"Daniel-"

"Can chat with them and keep them from getting bored until we get there," he interrupted. "We need to go back now."

"Fine," she agreed. She walked with him back to their vehicles and followed him back to the base, resisting the urge to simply take a 'wrong turn' and miss their hop. In less than half an hour they were on a plane and winging their way back to Colorado Springs.

Sam took advantage of the noise of the plane and pretended to doze off, hoping to forestall any attempts at conversation. She didn't feel like talking and she really couldn't understand why. Part of her expected to want to talk over the events of the past few days with him, find out how many rogue goa'uld he and his teams had found, how many more could be out there.

But another part of her really didn't care. They'd find them, eventually. She did know that they'd never succeeded in bringing a queen through, so the goa'uld that were here were all the goa'uld there'd be. And the very nature of the beast suggested that they wouldn't just go quietly into the night.

She must have actually fallen asleep because the next thing she was aware of was the thudding bounce of the plane landing. She straightened up in the seat, self-consciously looking over to the colonel. Much to her relief, he seemed to be waking as well. He stretched as best he could with his seatbelt fastened then turned his attention out the window as the plane slowed. It maneuvered off the runway and onto the taxiway and he unsnapped his seatbelt.

She did the same and remained in her seat until the plane stopped, then got to her feet and deplaned, taking a few minutes to acknowledge the flight crew and fill out the paperwork before making her way to the waiting staff car for the short trip across town to the SGC.

As they drove, she watched the scenery scroll by, her hand absently petting Gizmo. The normalcy of their surroundings only served to unsettle her more.

It just didn't seem right that things could be so normal. People still jogged on the sidewalk, a mother pushed a stroller and another woman was walking her dog. The sign on the pizza place advertised the daily special and the Krispy Kreme had fresh donuts.

They were going about their lives, even though the town had been the epicenter of an invasion.

There'd been hundreds of goa'uld here, hundreds of families who had one of their own possessed. And it seemed that not only had no one noticed, no one seemed to care. It served to put everything into perspective. How vital could their jobs really be if no one even noticed what they were doing?

They entered the highway and Sam sat back in the seat, watching as Gizmo climbed off her lap and explored the rest of the backseat. The colonel was up front with the driver and Sam was glad for the separation. If he was back here with her, he might try to continue their conversation and she wasn't in the mood for that.

He'd ask questions that she wasn't yet ready to answer. Chief among them, 'what next?' She didn't know what she was going to do next. She still half expected to be taken into custody. Which was why she was surprised when Malcolm had authorized her to bring Jacob back and bury him. Despite all of them resigning, she knew that they were all fugitives. Agent Barrett could have been well within his authority to have kept her confined to base. Instead he not only allowed her to go back to Springfield to bring her father back, he also gave her a team of four and a FRED to aid in the process. Not to mention arranging the burial.

The car exited the highway and drove up the narrow road, clearing the checkpoints with speedy efficiency. It stopped just inside the tunnel entrance and Sam got out, shivering in the chill air. She held Gizmo close and followed the colonel into the mountain.

"Whatever the hell the Tok'ra want, it better be important," he groused once they got into the elevator.

"It's important enough for them to wait," she said, even the contentious subject of the Tok'ra preferable to her personal life. 

"They just better not want us to go on a mission," he said.

She nodded, agreeing with his assessment. They were in no condition to go on any missions or to go help anyone out. They needed to finish taking care of Earth first.

The pair of them walked into the empty briefing room. "Are we in the wrong secret base?" he asked, spinning one of the chairs.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe they got tired of waiting," she suggested.

"Actually, I needed the room," General Landry said, stepping out of his office to join them. "They were escorted to one of the VIP rooms to rest. I'm having them escorted back down."

"Thank you, sir," Sam said.

"Did they say why they're here?" the colonel asked.

"Four hours ago, the gate opened. Given that we had no teams off world, we naturally assumed the worst," Landry said. "Then the IDC came up to be the Tok'ra, so we opened the iris. Two Tok'ra came through escorting a third person Doctor Jackson identified as his wife."

"Shau'ri?"

"She's host to Amaunet," Sam said, openly alarmed.

Landry shook his head. "Apparently not anymore. Although she is currently in the infirmary having that verified."

"How?" Sam asked.

"I'm guessing that's part of the details they wanted to tell you," he said. He looked up as two SF's escorted the two Tok'ra into the room. Sam recognized one of them although the other was a stranger. "Garshaw, Mathis, thank you for your patience," Landry said.   
"Garshaw, I think you know Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter."

"We have indeed met, thank you," she said, inclining her dark head. "I do not believe that they have made Mathis' acquaintance." 

"I am pleased to meet you," the young man said. He looked to be barely thirty and was tall and slight. His skin had a healthy tan that was not complimented by the light beige of his clothing and seemed at odds with his thick red hair.

"Mathis has recently joined the Tok'ra and it is upon his behalf that we are here today," Garshaw said

The colonel looked to Landry for permission then motioned for them all to sit at the table.   
"I thought you were here to deliver Shau'ri," he said.

"Delivering the host of Amaunet to her husband's people was part of our reason for coming here," Garshaw said.

"How did you find her?" Sam asked. "Was it some mission or…"

"She simply appeared upon one of our planets," Garshaw said. "Our sentries reported that there was a flash of light, then her, standing upon the sand. They feared a trap, but brought her inside our tunnels and we verified that she no longer carried Amaunet. She expressed the desire to return to her husband and the planet of the Tau'ri was our only hope."

"Did she say where Amaunet went? How she got rid of it?" the colonel asked.

"She did not. She merely said that her demon was gone," Garshaw said.

"Thank you for bringing her home," Landry said.

Garshaw nodded.

"You said bringing Shau'ri here was part of your reason," Sam pressed, her hand stroking a purring Gizmo.

"We came on my behalf," Mathis said. He frowned and looked down at his hands for a second. "Please forgive me, this is more difficult than I expected."

"You are aware that the last mission Selmac and your father completed was in Sokar's court," Garshaw said, casting a sympathetic glance at her companion.

Sam gasped, the mention of her father's name catching her off guard. "Jacob didn't exactly keep us up to date," the colonel said, mercifully speaking up.

"Of course," Garshaw said. "When Jacob and Selmac returned, we believed that his mission had been successful. We have since learned that our belief was erroneous."

"How erroneous?" the colonel asked, leaning forward. Sam's hand stilled and the kitten protested, butting its head against her hand to make her keep petting it.

Mathis lowered his head and his eyes flashed, symbolizing that the symbiote was now in control. "Jacob did not escape Sokar's court unscathed. Unbeknownst to us, our assumed personality was discovered and we were taken prisoner."

Sam shook her head, sure that she'd misheard. "What?"

Mathis looked at her. "Jacob and I were separated and we have since learned that Sokar reblended him with one of his offspring."

Sam shook her head, still not ready to comprehend what she was hearing. "What the hell are you saying?" the colonel demanded.

Mathis looked at him. "I am Selmac."

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Selmac watched as the woman paled and feared for a moment that his pronouncement would be too much for her to bear. She shook her head, one hand coming up as if to ward off his words.

"I was forcibly removed from Jacob," he said, pressing on with his story in the hope that it would allow her to accept his words. "I was placed in a stasis chamber."

"It is believed that Sokar wished to infiltrate the Tok'ra," Garshaw said. "And was going to use Jacob to breach our defenses."

"How do we even know that you're Selmac," Carter asked. "For all we know, you're nothing more than a goa'uld impersonating a Tok'ra."

"One of our operatives learned of an imprisoned Tok'ra and orchestrated a rescue," Garshaw said. "It was not until Selmac blended with Mathis that we were able to learn the identity of the Tok'ra, and the compromised host." She turned to look at Carter. "By then Jacob was already dead and the damage was contained."

Carter pushed her chair back from the table and surged to her feet, Gizmo falling unceremoniously to the floor. "Contained?" she asked, her voice rising. "That's what you call it? Contained? We call it dead."

"Major Carter, please-"

"Don't please me," she snarled. "You manipulated him, used him." She pointed a finger at the pair. "You didn't give a damn about him, all you cared about was finding a host for your precious Tok'ra. You think you're better than the goa'uld but you're no different," she yelled. "You're no different at all."

She spun on her heel and stormed from the room, leaving stunned silence in her wake. O'Neill cleared his throat and looked down at the table. "I'm afraid that I must apologize for the outburst," General Landry finally said. "Major Carter did bury her father just today. Her emotions are a bit raw."

"There is not need to apologize, General Landry," Garshaw said. "I would imagine that our news was quite upsetting to her. It is information that perhaps we should have kept to ourselves," she continued.

"It was information that we could not keep to ourselves," Selmac corrected. He turned to O'Neill. "Colonel O'Neill, I came here solely to speak to Major Carter. I did not mean to make her pain any worse."

"I don't think she wants to talk to you," O'Neill said.

"Regardless, it is something that she needs to hear," Selmac insisted.

General Landry looked to Colonel O'Neill and the man stared at Selmac for a few seconds before nodding. "She's probably down in her lab…or what used to be her lab."

"I think Garshaw and I can wait here," General Landry said.

O'Neill got to his feet and Selmac followed suit, settling into step beside the man as he led him from the room. "Jacob Carter thought highly of you," Selmac said, feeling the need to say something.

"Jacob Carter's dead," O'Neill said flatly.

Selmac stopped, forcing O'Neill do to the same. "Yes, he is. And I truly regret and mourn his passing. But his memories live on in me. I am aware of his feelings for you and your team. He thought fondly of you and even felt a bit of kinship."

"Kinship?" O'Neill asked skeptically.

"Jacob Carter felt that there was a certain similarity between the two of you. I believe he saw something of himself in you."

"Poor guy."

Selmac smiled. "He respected you Colonel O'Neill. And I believe that he felt much more at ease as long as he knew that his daughter was in your presence. He trusted you to keep her safe and to protect her," he said sincerely. "Although I don't know if he ever quite agreed with you that gate travel was a piece of cake."

He saw belief flash across O'Neill's face and knew that the man finally accepted his story.   
"What do you need to tell Carter?" he asked.

"Colonel O'Neill-"

"Jacob trusted me to protect her," he interrupted. "She was just FINALLY starting to deal with you…him dying. She just buried him for cryin out loud. And now here you show up and come along with this line of crap and rip open all those old wounds. Hope you understand that I'm this close to tossing your ass back through the gate." He held his hand up with his fingers nearly touching.

"I want to tell her that Jacob truly loved her. That he regretted many things in his life, amongst them the times that he hurt her. That he regretted missing the birthdays and holidays. That the proudest moment of his life was when he watched her graduate from the academy. That, he never wished that she was a boy and never in his wildest dreams, did he dare imagine that she would be doing the things that she is doing.

"That if he could ask one thing of her it would be for her to be happy. No matter where she is, no matter what she does, to be happy. That he never regretted becoming a host and that he was grateful to have the extra time and that even the most unpleasant memories, he cherished and he was grateful for. That he didn't and never did blame her for anything. And that his biggest regret is that he shall never see her again."

Selmac heard a sound and turned his head, catching sight of Carter standing just a few yards down the hall. He walked towards her, leaving O'Neill behind. "I apologize for upsetting you," he said. "That was not my intention. I am grateful to him for permitting me to continue with my life. I am grateful to you for allowing us our time together. I will cherish every one of his memories. I knew that it would be less painful for you to never know that I survived him, yet I could not allow you to continue to believe that your father hurt you. Jacob was as much a victim of the goa'uld as you were. And I believe that you need to know that. It was not him that harmed you." He reached out to touch her face, relieved when she did not pull away. "Through him I know the love and joy of having a child and the beauty of having a daughter. He could never blame you and would never hate you. You are the light and joy of his life and you always will be." A tear ran down her face and he gently wiped it away. "I again apologize and I thank you for my life."

With that, he walked past her and retraced his steps back to the briefing room. At a junction in the hall, he indulged himself in a glance back and smiled as he saw O'Neill open his arms and offer comfort to Carter. "You were right, my friend," he whispered. "You were right."

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Janet Frasier looked up, not surprised to see Colonel O'Neill and Sam hurry into the room. "Isolation room three," she said, preempting their question.

"Isolation?"

"I thought they said Amaunet was gone?" O'Neill asked.

"It's more for Shau'ri's privacy," Janet answered.

"How is she?" Sam asked.

"As well as can be expected," Janet answered. "The MRI confirms that the goa'uld is gone. And, as much as I can tell, her body chemistry is returning to normal."

"Did she say what happened?" Sam asked. The kitten in her hand mewled and restlessly tried to get down causing the woman to struggle a bit to control the creature.

Janet ignored it and bit back her frustration at having an animal in her newly returned infirmary. In hindsight, Janet knew she had been one of the lucky ones, she'd been transferred across town to Peterson Air Force Base and had managed to avoid any contact with the goa'uld.

She knew that she'd been very, very lucky. If the records she'd seen were anything near accurate, approximately two hundred people had perished, most of them from failed blendings with the goa'uld.

Because of this, her infirmary was pretty much shut down and open more as a requirement than as a necessity. There were no current missions through the gate, nor were there planned to be any for the foreseeable future.

"Shau'ri didn't say much," she said. "Simply that her demon was gone."

"The Tok'ra took it out?" O'Neill asked.

Janet shook her head. "They said that they didn't."

"Then how did she get it out of her?"

"And where did Amaunet go?" Sam asked.

"That's what Daniel is finding out right now." 

She led them back towards the isolation room. Shau'ri sat in the bed, clothed in a regulation infirmary gown. Daniel was at her side, right where he'd been for the past several hours. Teal'c and Sho'nac were also in the room and the Jaffa woman was talking to Shau'ri.

Janet remembered learning that the two of them had known each other while Shau'ri had been host to Amaunet and, somehow, Shau'ri seemed to find comfort in a familiar face.  
Teal'c saw the three of them standing at the threshold and got to his feet. "O'Neill," he acknowledged.

"Sam, you're back," Daniel said, reluctantly releasing Shau'ri's hand and getting to his feet.

"Yeah, we're back. Shau'ri, I don't know if you remember me but--"

"You visited our home right before Apophis came," she interrupted.

"Yeah, I did. I'm glad to see you."

"As I am as well."

"Major Carter, Teal'c told me that you were visiting family," Sho'nac said. Unlike Daniel and Teal'c who were both wearing fatigues, Sho'nac still wore her own clothes which made her stand out amongst the people in the room. 

"I was, but we came back. I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"I am well, thank you."

"And she'll be well for many years to come," Janet said. "I would estimate that her symbiote has years of life left to it." An awkward hush fell over the group and Janet cursed, belatedly realizing what she'd just said. The shock of learning of Bra'tac's death was second only to the news of Jacob's and they were two facts that Janet was still trying to wrap her mind around. So much had changed and so many had died. More than she was capable of comprehending at the moment. "I'm sorry, I..."

"There is no need for sorrow," Teal'c said. "We shall honor Tekmate Bra'tac's sacrifice by not forgetting his actions."

"He was a good man," Sam said.

"Yes, he was," Daniel said.

"He was a crotchety old coot," O'Neill said, earning him glares from Sam and Daniel. "What? It's the truth and you know it."

"Takes one to know one," Daniel said.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"I think the colonel's just sore because Bra'tac never called him anything other than 'human,' Sam said.

"Which is an accurate statement," Teal'c agreed.

"It is," Janet said.

"It's not what he said, it's how he said it," O'Neill protested.

"That's ok," Sam said. "My dad used to call him a curmudgeon."

"Curmudgeon?"

"Really?" Daniel asked.

Sam nodded. "He alternated between that and an ornery son of a--"

"Aah!" O'Neill spoke up, holding up his hand to silence her. "Behave," he admonished.

"It's been a very long day for everyone, especially Shau'ri," Janet said, unwilling yet feeling the need to break up the gathering.

One by one, the visitors said their goodbyes and left until only Daniel remained. "She needs her rest," Janet said gently.

"I know, just..." He looked at her, his reluctance to leave painfully obvious.

"Until she falls asleep," she conceded. "I'm on duty all night, she won't be alone," she promised.

Daniel nodded and Janet stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She had no illusions that Daniel would be out anytime soon, in fact, she'd place her money on him doing his best to spend the night. And she couldn't blame him. If the love of her life had just been delivered to her doorstep, she wouldn't be leaving his side either.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Daniel felt Shau'ri move and opened his eyes, holding himself still in case she was just stirring in her sleep. Her breathing shifted and he knew that she was awake, so he gently extricated his arm, loosening his grip to allow her to sit up. "You're ok," he said, sensing her anxiety. "You're on Earth, remember?"

"Daniel?" She shifted and moved to look at him. Her hand slipped up to her neck. "It is gone?"

"Yes," he said, smiling at her. "It's gone." He reached out and held her face. "Amaunet is gone, I promise you, it's not a dream. It's real."

It was a declaration that he was just starting to believe himself. And one of many thoughts that had come to him as he dozed spooned behind her. It was real. She was real. She was here and she was free. And, all of a sudden, nothing else mattered.

"I hoped for this for so long," she said, smiling tremulously.

"As soon as Janet releases you, we'll get you out of here. I…there's so much I want to share with you. I can finally show you my world. Do you remember all the things I talked about in the cave? All the wonders? I can finally show them to you," he enthused.

She smiled for a bit, then her face fell and her eyes dropped to her hands. "What is it?" he asked. "Don't worry, we'll go slow. We have the rest of our lives to see the world. Heck, it could take us most of a year just to see Colorado."

"How can you want to do this?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. "How can you wish to be with me?"

"Shau'ri, I've been searching for you ever since the day Apophis took you," Daniel said.

She looked up at him. "But I am not as I was when I was taken," she whispered, her dark eyes full of pain.

"No, you're not," he said, aware that nothing would be gained from ignoring what had happened. "None of us are. But you're alive and you're healthy and I have you back," he said. "You did what you had to do to survive. I can't blame you for that. If I'm angry at anyone, I'm angry at Apophis for taking you from me. But I'm not angry at you for surviving. I love you, just as much as I loved you back on Abydos, and just as much as I'll love you until the end our days."

He watched the emotions chase across her face, fear and dismay slowly replaced by hope. "The child?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "He's gone," he said simply, thinking that she wasn't ready - and maybe never would be - to hear the truth.

She nodded slowly. "I feel that it is perhaps best," she said. "Amaunet wanted him so badly."

"The child is safe," Daniel said. "No one can get him now." He grasped her arm. "Just like you're safe with me. I love you," he said again, sensing that she needed to hear the reassurance. "I have always loved you and I always will love you." He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Forever," he promised.

"Forever," she replied, her eyes filling with tears. Daniel pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms.

"Forever," he repeated, his heart filling with a peace he hadn't felt in years.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
"You can go in now," the secretary said.

"Thank you," Jack replied, instinctively straightening his tie as he got to his feet and walked towards the door. He opened it and stepped into the Oval Office, stopping in his tracks when he caught sight of four people in the room instead of the expected two.

"Jack, come in," President Hayes invited, getting to his feet. He held out his hand.

Jack reciprocated. "If I'd have known there was a party, I'd have brought a cake," he said.

"Relax, Jack. This isn't an ambush," Hayes said. He motioned for Jack to have a seat on the couch. "Hank you know," he introduced. "This is Lieutenant General Vidrine and   
Major General Kerrigan."

Jack shook the hands of the men than took his seat on the couch beside Hank while the President claimed an arm chair between the two couches. "In light of what happened, I thought we should all get together and make sure that we're on the same page," he said.

"That's always a good thing," Jack said, refusing to let himself feel intimidated surrounded by so much brass. This meeting wasn't his idea, he was simply responding to a summons.

"General Vidrine?" the President prompted, ignoring Jack's quip.

"In the past month, we have successfully tracked down every one of the goa'uld brought back," he reported. "The hosts have been freed and the goa'ulds eradicated. The largest concern we have is that we've used all but a very few of the goa'uld killing devices. I would suggest that we make recreating these devices a top priority."

Hayes nodded. "I agree. And that's something we're going to have to discuss with the new base commander."

Jack looked over at Landry. "Hank?"

"Two hundred people died on my watch, Jack," he said. His voice was even, but his eyes were shadowed and haunted.

"It wasn't your fault," Jack said. "I read the report."

"I was in command," he said, the guilt and pain plain in his eyes. 

"Regardless of Hank's lack of guilt, the JCS needs a scapegoat," President Hayes said.

"I'm going to retire," Hank said.

"And I will make sure that his record is clean and that he retires with full honors," Hayes said.

"Which means that there's a base in Colorado that's in need of a new boss," Hayes said. 

Jack glanced from Landry to Hayes. "I'm retired," he said.

Hayes laughed. "I think we got that the first ten times you said it," he said. "We have a proposal for you, Jack. The SGC needs a new commander, but recent events have shown us that we also need to revamp things a bit. We need more checks and balances, something to keep this from ever happening again."

"Our idea is this," Vidrine said. "We separate the command. The SGC will have an onsite duty commander. Someone to handle the day to day activities. This person will answer to the off-site base commander. Someone that we hope will be immune from any such incidents like we just had."

"It's going to take a couple of good people working together. Officers that are able to co-exist without getting into a pissing match. The base commander has to trust the operations commander to make decisions. The operations commander has to handle the base commander telling him what to do," Hayes said.

"Sounds like you're gonna have quite a balancing match going on," Jack said, refusing to take the bait.

"General Kerrigan has agreed to be the new base commander," Vidrine said.

"That's quite a change from wiping noses at the academy," Jack said.

"From the reports I read, there's not much difference," Kerrigan said.

"We want you to be the operations commander, Jack," Hayes said, finally dropping the bomb Jack knew was coming.

Jack shook his head. "Two years ago you guys were ready to lock me up and throw away the key because you didn't believe that Ba'al was gone. Now you're going to hand me command of a base?"

"Your experiences are precisely what makes you the best person for this job," Vidrine said.

"You're a suspicious, cynical and grumpy bastard," Landry said. He looked at Jack. "You keep your people on their toes, and that's exactly where they need to be."

Jack glanced at the group before looking back at Hayes. "What about my people?"

"Full amnesty," Hayes said. "You and Major Carter will be restored to rank. Doctor Jackson and Teal'c well return to their former status. Hell, if it'll help, I'll even look into back pay."

"And if I say no?" Jack asked. Hayes raised his eyebrows. "Don't knock retirement until you've tried it," Jack said. "We have this sweet little cabin, a stream chock full of fish. We go where we want, when we want. No orders, no paperwork." He looked straight at Hayes. "No politicians throwing their weight around."

"Amnesty stands regardless," Hayes said, nonplused by Jack's outburst. 

"Sir," Vidrine protested.

"It stands," Hayes said, glaring at him. "We want your help, Jack. But if you don't want to do your duty and want to go back to your little cabin in the woods, you're free to do so. There's just no guarantee that the door will be open should you ever decide to return." He sat back in his chair. "I'm a supporter of the SGC and I'd like nothing more than to keep the Stargate open. But, given what's happened, what I want may not be what's best for this country."

"Sir," Jack said. "We can't guarantee that there'll never be another invasion. You build a better mouse trap and the mice just get smarter."

"So you keep building," Landry said. "Jack, think of it as the best of both worlds. Kerry handles all that stuff you hate. The paperwork, the requisitions. You handle the day to day duties. Assign the missions, take care of the personnel. All that stuff you're good at."  
Jack stared at the four of them, both intrigued and terrified by their suggestion.

In one way, running the SGC was a dream come true. The answer to defeating the goa'uld WAS out there, they just had to find it. As was a lot of stuff that Earth could benefit from.

On the other hand, did he really want that responsibility? Did he want to spend his days sending people on missions that they just might not return from. Did he want to write the letters of condolence? Did he want their blood on his hands?

It'd been bad enough when it had only been the four of them. He'd lost count of the number of nights that he'd laid awake, worrying if they'd have enough food or what would happen if one of them got sick or was injured beyond their capability to fix.

Then the nightmare had come true and he'd spent three agonizing days watching Sam die. A fate, if it hadn't been for Thor, she'd succumbed to.

Did he want to - could he - do all that again?

"I can give you twenty-four hours," Hayes said, acknowledging Jack's obvious reluctance. Beyond that, I'll need to start considering other candidates." He got to his feet, signaling the end of the meeting. The three of them stood up and exchanged pleasantries before they left Hayes alone in his office.

"Think about it, Jack," Landry urged in the hall after Kerrigan and Vidrine excused themselves.

"Kerrigan runs the academy," Jack said. "You want me to answer to glorified school teacher?"

Landry chuckled. "Jack, you really think Kerry's going to tell you how to do your job? He doesn't want to. He's an excellent administrator and he knows it. You, on the other hand, kick ass at field work and can't administer your way out of a wet sack. It looks like a match made in heaven to me." He sighed and patted Jack on the shoulder. "Think about it," he repeated. "Think about what you can accomplish."

He turned on his heel and walked down the hall. Jack stood amongst the bustling staffers, his uncertain future spreading out in front of him.

  
/\/\/\/\/\

  
Teal'c sat upon a rock and watched as his companions sat a short distance away. Major Carter sat beside Daniel Jackson and Shau'ri upon a blanket, the three of them enjoying the antics of the major's kitten.

"Do you remember Kar'teo?" Sho'nac asked, her hand taking his.

"I do," Teal'c replied. "Tekmate Bra'tac acquired the creature as a gift." He smiled, remembering the small feline Bra'tac had gifted him with so many years before.

"He was so proud of it," she said. "Do you know that he searched for days to find an appropriate feline?"

"I did not know."

She nodded. "It was a gift to you, it had to be perfect."

His hand grasped hers, clutching it with desperate strength. "Just like his last gift to me," he said. 

She looked at him, a slight frown on her face. "Teal'c?"

"I wish you to be my wife," he said.

"Drey'auc?"

"She set our marriage aside. I have never contested this fact. She is the mother of my son," he said, honestly laying out his feelings. "But she is not my future." He shifted, moving to face her, his hand still grasping hers. "Will you consent to be my wife?" he asked.

She smiled and laid her other hand over the ruined skin of his face. "I have always wanted to be your wife and I would rather spend one day with you than a lifetime without."

Ecstatic at her words, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly on her lips. She kissed him back and the world faded away, ceasing to exist as he immersed himself in his love for her.

The next thing he was aware of was O'Neill's voice as he joined them. Teal'c reluctantly pulled away, ignoring the amused glances of his companions. "Colonel," Major Carter called out. "You're back."

"Obviously," he said, smiling at them. "I see you started without me."

"That's what you get for running off," Daniel Jackson said, referring to O'Neill's last minute summons to report to his superiors. "Anyway, I know I remember you telling us to start without you."

O'Neill shrugged, seeming to concede the point as he sat down on another rock. The six of them were outside of the SGC and were scattered across a small clearing a short distance from the front gate. Teal'c knew that it was not an ideal location for Daniel Jackson's picnic, however it was the best they could arrange while still maintaining the quarantine sanctioned upon them by General Landry and Agent Barrett. Both Shau'ri and Sho'nac had yet to be given permission to leave the facility and Teal'c knew that there was also an issue with the status of his friends. In the eyes of many, they were fugitives or transgressors. Individuals that had committed a wrong upon society and had yet to be punished.

Teal'c did not agree with this opinion. He could see how their actions could be seen as wrong, yet he also knew that their motives were pure. He hoped that their leaders could see beyond any petty needs to assert authority and would not impose sanctions upon his friends.

"How'd it go?" Major Carter asked. The six of them were now gathered closely, Shau'ri and Daniel Jackson standing while Major Carter claimed a rock of her own to sit upon. 

"It went," he said. "We've all got amnesty," he said. Teal'c felt the tension in the group drop dramatically. "There's a lot of details to work out, but we're off everyone's hit list."

"That's good," Daniel said. 

"Amnesty for what?" Shau'ri asked.

"We didn't exactly get permission to leave Earth," Daniel Jackson told her. "I'll tell you all about it," he promised.

"I sense a but in there somewhere," Major Carter said, staring at O'Neill.

"Landry's gone," O'Neill said. "He's going to retire."

"They're making him the scapegoat," Major Carter said.

"Not for the invasion, and not on paper."

"Will Agent Barrett stay in command?" she asked.

O'Neill shook his head. "Not quite."

"Jack, for cryin out loud, just spit it out," Daniel Jackson requested.

"They want to make General Kerrigan the new administrative CO," he said.

"Doesn't he run the academy?" Major Carter asked.

"Yep."

"How does being a principal make him a good person to run a top secret base?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"Administrative CO," O'Neill stressed. "He'll be the glorified paper pusher."

"You know, that could be a good thing," Major Carter said.

"How?" Daniel Jackson asked. "It just looks like more red tape to me."

"Remember Hathor?"

Daniel Jackson made a face. "I'd rather not."

"We almost lost the base because the chain of command was compromised. Having someone that can make decisions that's also free from anything that might be brought back, it could be a good thing," she said.

"O'Neill, if this General Kerrigan is to be in an administrative role, is there not to be someone in a more active command role?" Teal'c asked.

"Trust you to cut straight to the point," O'Neill said.

"It's you, isn't it?" Major Carter asked.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Is that where our amnesty came from?"

"Jack, I thought they didn't trust you because of…you know," Daniel Jackson said.

"No, the amnesty applies regardless. And I guess someone realized that it's kinda hypocritical to distrust me when they have a couple hundred people in the same boat," he answered their questions in turn.

"Are you going to do it?" Daniel Jackson asked.

O'Neill shrugged. "I have twenty-four…twenty-two hours to decide," he said, checking   
his watch.

"That is not much time," Teal'c said.

"I'm guessing they want to get things settled as fast as they can."

"When do we have to decide?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"Daniel?"

"Does the deadline apply to us too?"

O'Neill shook his head. "They didn't say." He took a deep breath and clapped his hands, pasting a smile on his face. "Now that that's out of the way, I am starved, what did you guys scrounge up for food?"

Two hours later, the sun was beginning to set and the six of them started to gather up the remnants of their picnic. Catching sight of Major Carter chasing Gizmo, Teal'c bade Sho'nac to precede him, allowing him a moment of privacy with his friend.

"Teal'c?" Major Carter looked at the departing people. "Is something wrong?"

Teal'c shook his head. "I wished to speak with you."

She tensed, clutching the kitten close. "Okay," she said slowly.

"Sho'nac has agreed to become my wife," he said, feeling no need to delay broaching the topic.

"Really? That's great," she said. "But Drey'auc-"

"I believe the Earth term is divorce," Teal'c interrupted.

"That's good, I mean bad, I mean….I'm happy for you," she stammered.

Teal'c nodded, accepting her words. "Two years ago, I bore a great anger towards you. I…I wished you ill for not permitting me the blessing of death." She stilled, her eyes riveted upon him. "I was wrong. If you had done as I wished, I would not now have Sho'nac as my own. For that, and for my future happiness, I will forever be grateful." He reached out and took her hand, clasping it in his own. "You are the sister of my blood and a member of my house. You are blood kin and I will forever be in your debt."

He watched the emotions play across her face and they mirrored his own. They stood there for a few seconds until the kitten mewed, demanding her fair share of attention. Major Carter laughed. "I guess we better go inside." She looked up at him. "I don't want your fiancée getting mad at me after all."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Sho'nac's wrath is most…memorable."

"Then let's go in," Major Carter said, altering her grip to twist her arm in his. Arm and arm, the two of them made their way into the mountain and their waiting comrades.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sam sat in the grass, not caring if it stained her clothes. Gizmo played in the distance, doing her best to capture one of the many butterflies attracted to the nearby flowers.

The sun was warm on her face and she sighed, closing her eyes. The wind whispered through the pines and she could hear the distant murmur of the traffic on I-25. In the distance, she could hear the helicopters and jets of Peterson. The air smelled of pine and dirt and the harsh twang of car exhaust.

It wasn't idyllic, it wasn't perfect but it was home.

She heard footsteps and she sighed, resigning herself to the fact that her escape had not gone unnoticed. "You're missing a hell of a party," Jack said, grunting as he joined her on the grass.

"You're gonna stain your uniform…General." She glanced at him, still unaccustomed to the sight of him in full dress blues.

"They neglected to mention the rank that came with the job," he excused.

"It'll come in handy. I'm sure not everyone will be as understanding as Colonel Dixon and Colonel Reynolds. Besides, it looks good on you," she said sincerely.

"Thanks. You heard about Daniel and Shau'ri?"

"I'm not surprised," she said. "There's not much of a life here for Shau'ri." Right before the party celebrating Jack's promotion, Daniel had announced his and Shau'ri's decision to leave Earth. They were going to return to Springfield and try to rebuild their life. Along with doing that, they also needed to track down Kasuf and make sure that he was okay. Teal'c still had some friends amongst Apophis' Jaffa and had promised to help them as much as he could.

"At least Sho'nac can go on missions. It's kinda hard for the ex-Queen of Apophis to keep a low profile," Sam said. She laughed. "Although I don't see Teal'c letting Sho'nac get too far away from him."

Jack chuckled. "They are a bit smitten, aren't they?"

"Smitten? More like bugnuts, head over heels, crazy for each other," Sam said.

Jack sighed. "Young Jaffa in love." Sam looked askance at him. "Relatively speaking." He pulled a long stem of grass and held it out, waving it in front of Gizmo until the kitten took the bait and began to play. "Daniel's going to Springfield, Teal'c's staying here. You still haven't said what you're gonna do," he finally said.

"Still haven't decided," she said.

"You know we can use you here," he said. "Siler's good but no one knows the gate like you do."

"They've managed just fine for the past two years," she dismissed.

"Part of which the gate was shut down and the other half the goa'uld were running the show," he said. "Doesn't count." 

"You'll manage," she said.

"Sam, who's going to keep me from killing the scientists?" he asked. "Not to mention translating their gobbledygook into English."

"Col…General-"

"Sam, I understand if you don't want to stay or if you want to go back to Springfield or…hell if you want a transfer, just tell me where and I'll make it happen. But I really hope you want to stay here. I aah…I'm wondering if I'm in over my head and was sort of counting on you to help me tread water."

"You're a better swimmer than I am," she said. 

"Better is relative."

Sam looked away and closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I don't know if I can do it," she confessed quietly.

"It?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Choosing," she said simply.

"Then don't," he said. "Stay Earthside and run the labs. We've got a whole bunch of eager little beavers that can bring toys back."

"What about Gizmo?"

Jack frowned. "I think she's a little young to go out on her own but---"

Sam laughed. "I mean having her at the base."

He shrugged. "I might be pushing it if I ordered someone to clean out her litter box but…what the hell? More the merrier."

"And this?" She reached into her jacket and pulled out the tiara he'd given her back on Praxis. She placed it on her head and looked over at him.

He smiled, reaching out to straighten it. "I think it should make an appearance, at least once a week." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Care to rejoin the party, Major?" he asked.

Sam looked up at him, aware of exactly what his offer entailed. Of the choice she was about to make. She scooped up Gizmo and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet before she fell into step at his side. "On one condition," she said as they got within sight of the gate.

"Oh?"

"Let's go get a pizza," she suggested.

"Fine, but you're buying," he agreed, without missing a beat.

"What about your party?" she asked, surprised that he agreed.

"They won't even know we're gone." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. "Fringe benefit number three," he said, leading her towards one of the staff cars.

"Number three? What are the first two?"

Jack grinned at her, his eyes alight with mischief. "Who said there's only three? I made a list." She opened the car door and climbed in. "A long list." He turned on the ignition and put the car into gear. "Very long. Huge!"

/\/\/\/\/\

  
Two figures stood high up on the hillside, watching in amusement as the car made its way down the narrow road and merged into the traffic on the highway. 

"Have you witnessed enough?" one asked, unable to thoroughly disguise his impatience.

"Where's the fire?" the second one said, shooting a frown at his companion. "It's not like we're on a schedule."

"Jacob, my friend, I know that I informed you of the rules," Bra'tac reminded, smiling at his companion and his youthful impatience. "We cannot interfere in the affairs of mortals."

"Who's interfering?" Jacob shot back. "I'm not interfering, I'm observing." Bra'tac sighed, torn between amusement and frustration. "Let's go see where they go for dinner," Jacob suggested. "I want to watch Jack pull rank when the restaurant gets pissed about the cat."  
Jacob enthusiastically floated down the mountain and followed the car as it made its way down the road, leaving Bra'tac no choice but to follow.

"This is my reward?" he asked the thin air. "One hundred and thirty-seven years of service and this is my reward?" He glanced ahead. "Or perhaps it is my penance," he complained good-naturedly.

Annoyance faded into intrigue and he followed Jacob, suddenly anticipating the future that laid before him. It would not always be pleasant and knew that both the good and bad awaited, both him and their charges, but he also knew that it would be anything but dull.

  
~Fin~


End file.
